Die Welt

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No. 13. Vienna, 29 March 1901. Vol. V

The next number of the "Welt" will appear as a Passover festival issue, of enlarged extent and increased impression. It will bring, among other things, contributions from the following writers: Dr. Theodor Herzl, Heinrich York-Steiner, Balduin Groller, Börries Freiherr v. Münchhausen, Dr. J. Rülf, Martin Buber, Theodor Zlocisti, Dr. Philipp Menczel, Martin Friedländer, Dolorosa (Berlin), Alfred Nossig, Dr. Heinrich Loewe, Heinrich Grünau, Max Jungmann, Adolf Donath, A. Ludvipol, Max Fleischer, etc.

The number is especially suited for advertisements.

The Administration of the "Welt".

The First Austrian Zionist Day.

(Olmütz, 24 and 25 March 1901.)

It was with great satisfaction that we were able to return from Olmütz. The Zionist Day brought us much, more indeed than we asked of it. In form and in content it has grown far beyond what lay in the original plans.

"They shall be working days in the true sense of the word" — so the organisers demanded. That has been honestly kept. A measure of work which fell not far short of that of the Congresses was despatched with earnestness, with diligence, with candour and with matter-of-factness. The dignity of the conference was not disturbed for a single moment, and the president seldom had occasion to apply the rigour of the standing orders.

The Zionist Day had originally no other purpose than to prepare the way for a general organisation of the Austrian Zion societies — something purely external, if not unimportant. By degrees, however, the agenda was so shaped that the most important questions of Zionism were likewise submitted for deliberation. With regard to the treatment of the several points of the agenda, the Zionist Day introduced a practice which might be recommended for the Congresses as well: the rapporteurs placed the guiding propositions of their reports at the disposal of the delegates beforehand, so that these had the opportunity of coming before the conference with their minds made up. In the debate this innovation made itself very agreeably felt. The so-called "theses" contributed much to prevent divagations from the subject under discussion and to keep the debates from dragging on.

The point "Programme" of the agenda gave occasion for a debate conceived upon a large scale. All the delegates concurred in holding that Zionism must proceed to a completion, or rather an extension, of its programmatic content. The "organisation" — that is to say, the preparation and education of the Jewish masses for Zionism — is to be effected by that social-political activity which we usually comprise under the notion of the physical, economic and intellectual raising of the Jews. This demand was formulated programmatically by the Zionist Day, and at the same time the desire was expressed that the Congress should adopt this demand in point of principle and find a programmatic formula binding upon Zionism as a whole. The special debate upon this point was conducted from the point of view of expediency and practicability. It was resolved to found only such institutions as have, under present circumstances, a prospect of success and of permanence. The delegates were unanimous in emphasising that there could be no question of foundations in the mass, but only of the systematic and cautious establishment of those institutions which in each case best serve the local interests.

The organisation debate was conducted from the point of view that it is advisable to place the national organisation as independently as possible and to leave a definite circle of business to its autonomous and unrestricted activity. The sober subject was handled with a diligence deserving of all praise. The draft of the Organisation Statute which was finally approved bears witness, moreover, to method, and not only to organisational but at the same time to great agitatorial understanding. By the fact that all the delegates adhered to this Organisation Statute, there was — so to speak