CHAPTER LI.
ZIONISM IN ENGLAND
The first leaders—Herzl before the Royal Commission on Immigration—The East Africa offer—Death of Herzl—Holman Hunt—Report of United States Consul at Beirut on Zionism—Lord Robert Cecil—The Palestine Exploration Fund—Colonel Conder—Lord Gwydyr—Zionism and the Arab question.
We turn now to England, where the Zionist idea continued to find influential support after the foundation of the new movement.
Dr. Herzl’s appreciation of the importance of England for Zionism may be illustrated by quotations from two of his letters:—
“Vienna, Feb. 28th.
“Mr. Chairman,—My friends in England know how much I feel drawn towards them, and how much I expect from them for the work common and dear to all of us. From the first moment I entered the movement my eyes were directed towards England, because I saw that by reason of the general situation of things there, that it was the Archimedean point where the lever could be applied....
“Theodor Herzl.
“To the Chairman of the English Zionist Conference.”[¹]
[¹] Zionist Conference held at the Clerkenwell Town Hall on March 6th, 1898. Report of Proceedings. London ... 1898. p. 22. (8º. 94 pp. in printed wrapper. [B. M.]) Special number of Palestina. The Chovevé Zion Quarterly.