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Basle, 30 August 1903 — 7 Elul 5663.

Thursday Night Session.

Opened at 11 o'clock.

President Dr. Bodenheimer. I proceed at once to the vote on the motions of the National Fund Commission. It was declared a little while ago that the National Fund Commission withdraws Clause 2. We are therefore concerned only with Clauses 1, 3 and 4. Before that I give the floor, for the answering of a few questions, to Herr

Kremenezki. A whole number of wishes have been expressed to me, and I should like to answer them in turn.

Concerning Messrs. Bernstein and Jackson: Herr Bernstein has spoken straight from my heart. I have said before that I am not satisfied with the work done for the National Fund. When it comes to the votes, everyone asks for the floor. I repeat once more: in the National Fund everyone must do something. If each of the gentlemen delegates neglects the matter, what may one then ask of the others? As reporter of the National Fund I feel bound to say: it is a disgrace that we have not yet more in the Fund. Had every man done his duty, we could have three to four millions. Let the gentlemen collect faster; then we shall obtain the necessary sum and can buy land. There is something better than beginning with such small means. I shall explain it later. For, I ask you, if we should then wish to round off our holdings a little or the like, are we then to declare ourselves bankrupt?!

By the next Congress I shall give you a precise account of everything, district by district, and shall then take the laggards soundly to task. I have told you before that as a member of the A. C. I am always obliged to hear reproaches from other quarters; as reporter of the National Fund I shall fire back. Messrs. Bernstein and Jackson, in connection with the various proposals, have raised a matter which we already discussed in October in Vienna. Among the various motions and proposals there are many excellent ones. But unhappily they are not carried out, or only a few of them. Herr Bernstein's proposal is that persons or societies should bind themselves by obligation to devote a certain percentage to the National Fund. I have never found in the "Welt" the gentlemen who bound themselves by obligation to contribute to the National Fund. Those who wish to collect will find a thousand opportunities. One can, to be sure, also bind oneself by obligation. Mere prescription is of no use.

Messrs. Scheinkin and Menczl oppose the reduction of the 200,000 pounds fixed by the Fifth Congress. They say the Jewish people must not begin with trifles. In this respect I should like to propose to you that we keep to the 200,000 pounds; but I beg you to take account of the proposals of the Commission and to resolve that the A. C. may buy land even with a smaller sum. I would ask you to fix neither a sum nor a time, because there we have to deal with great difficulties which I neither will nor can discuss here. In Palestine we have to reckon with many land speculators. We shall put a stop to these gentlemen's trade. From us they shall earn nothing. They must not know when we mean to buy land. Fix no time, no sum! Leave it to the A. C. We are just as hungry for land as you are.

Messrs. Tschlenow, Diesenhof, Pasmanik, Bruzkus and the advocate Rosenbaum have advocated the immediate purchase of land. I have already explained to you: those who wish us to buy land quickly need only take part more quickly in the collections. If we work with tolerable diligence we can have ten millions in a year, and if we do not reach that we must make half of it, and if we have not that, we are bunglers; and instead of taking this matter seriously, the gentlemen go away without firm resolutions and spend the time on motions and other things.

Dr. Fink has made a proposal which I too had already provided for in my report. He