20 APRIL 1918, Page 12

THE DANGER OF UNCONTROLLED ZIONISM. [To THE EDITOR OF THE

" SPECTATOR."]

SIR,—Mr. M. Brodrick may like to know that an Association has recently been formed by members of the Jewish religion in this country, under the name of the League of British Jews, with the object of maintaining the " whole contention " of his letter in

your issue of the 13th inst., "that (a) the Jews are not a nation but a religious body, and (b) that 'uncontrolled Zionism' does constitute a danger to the British Empire." The precise terms of the constitution of the League, which held its first statutory meeting last month, are " (1) To uphold the status of British subjects professing the Jewish Religion.

(2) To resist the allegation that Jews constitute a separate Political Nationality.

(3) To facilitate the settlement in Palestine of such Jews as may desire to make Palestine their home."

The President is Major Lionel de Rothschild, M.P., who, as President of the United Synagogue, is the secular head of the community, and who, as the grandson of the first Jewish M.P., is well qualified to represent the principles of the emancipative era. He is supported by representative British Jews, elected to com- munal offices by their co-religionists, such as Mr. Claude Monte- fore, Sir Philip Magnus, Mr. Leonard Cohen, Lord Swaythling, Sir Marcus Samuel, and others; and the League is constituted to support the policy of tho British Government with respect to the extension of useful colonies of Jews in Palestine, while safe- guarding the interests of the British Empire. The fallacy of Jewish nationalism, I may add, dates in modern times from the Judenstaat of the late Theodor Herzl, a Viennese journalist, who, exploited it to combat the Jew-baiting of his notorious fellow- citizen, Lueger. It has battened on Continental anti-Semitism. and, -unfortunately, it has increased that propaganda by encouraging the false view that Judaism is a national and not religious name. The attacks on Mr. Montagu in this country will. be fresh in your readers' recollection.—I am, Sir, Ac.,

A MEMBER OF THE LEAGUE.