JEWISH SETTLEMENT IN KENYA ?
Commonwealth and Foreign
By CLELAND SCOTT
THE sympathy of the world goes out to the Jews of Central Europe, and now of Italy as well. Countries, like individuals, tend to be concerned mainly with their own good ; it would appear that each agrees with the principle of Jewish settlement—in some country other than its own. Kenya Colony has been mentioned as one place where numbers might possibly be settled. There are two points of view to be considered : the good of the Jews, and the good of Kenya. As far as the Jews are concerned one might assume that any land is better than those which refuse to have them, and that as other Europeans live and make a living in Kenya, why should not they ? Yet the problem is not as simple as all that. The present white inhabitants of Kenya have, so far, not been consulted in any way : under the Colonial Office system of Crown Colony government they are not likely to be given any say in a matter which concerns them very closely.
What exactly is meant by " the good of Kenya " ? The good of the land ; the native inhabitants ; the white settlers ; or the Indians of whom there are about 30,000 ? It is note- worthy that the East African Indian National Congress is opposed to any scheme for Jewish settlement and it has sent a memorandum to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. They are opposed obviously because they foresee increased competition in commerce and trade generally. They are permanent and bitter opponents of white settlement : behind them lies the immense influence of the India Office ; the settlers have no backing.
It will be remembered that 6,000 Abyssinian refugees found haven in Kenya ; they are still there and cost the British taxpayer a good many thousand pounds a year and they appear likely to be a permanent liability. As no objec- tion is raised to them why should not Jewish refugees settle in Kenya ? If the refugees have capital there is no law to stop them settling whatever nationality they may be. If they are financed by societies of their own, they would not cost the Imperial or the local government one penny, and would help to increase local revenue, a great deal of which is spent on native services, as a very large percentage of this accrues from the endeavours of the white colonists in custom duties, railway freights, transport, licences and income tax. If they are to receive assistance in the form of cheap passages, or in grants to buy land, these should only be in the form of a loan, as any scheme to settle them which is financed by the British Government is bound to lead to opposition which is already being voiced in the local Press. The reason for this is that there is no State assistance for British people who desire to leave England and settle in Kenya, either in regard to passages or in grants for land purchase. Up to date the permanent committee appointed to encourage additional and closer white settlement has produced no concrete proposal since it was formed a year ago. If, as many people envisage, Kenya is one day to become part of an East African Dominion the more white people there are in it the better.
Any European desiring to settle in Kenya must deposit £50 or else be able to give proof that he has a job, or is a man of substance. " Poor whites " are one of the few problems that Kenya has not yet collected. Unless these Jews have capital their arrival will not be looked upon with enthusiasm, simply because they would complicate the labour market. There are today numbers of Jews in business and trade in Kenya and they are doing well and can be considered as excellent members of society. There is a large area of land, exclusive of native reserves, lying idle, so there can be deemed to be room for them ; it is merely a case of paying for uns land.
Talk of Jewish settlement is much too vague. What it is necessary to know is the type of person contemplated. Plenty of poor Jews could make good in Palestine, for example, as numbers of them are skilled agriculturists willing to work hard themselves. Yet it is an open question whether any white man could continue to do hard manual labour himself at altitudes varying from 4,500 to 9,000 feet under an equatorial sun year after year. Assuming that he could do this without harm to himself, it has yet to be proved whether, with the best will and luck in the world, he could make a living, as one man cannot cultivate any great acreage. Stock is out of the question, as ii coffee, sisal, tea, or pyrethrum on account of the picking. There remains the small mixed farm, or fruit such as oranges, or the newly-established Passion Fruit industry.
The next point to consider is that of refugees employing African labour. The labour position is none too plentiful for the present amount of white settlers. If even a thousand families arrived these would require, at a conservative estimate, to,000 natives of one kind or another, including domestic servants, who, in Kenya, are invariably males. Some people will say that these families would be perfectly willing to do without domestic servants : possibly, but the African, like all primitive peoples, objects to his master doing menial tasks day after day : he immediately regards him as an inferior individual and not a real musungu (white man). A white person is better employed in supervising, intelligently, native labour than doing himself all the hundred and one tasks that farming requires ; a small mixed farm does not necessarily mean a minute labour staff.
Considered economically refugees might be an asset to the African as with a large influx of new settlers costs would probably rise ; however, if labour became too expensive the native would not really benefit since all fanning is a matter of £. s. and d., and if costs rose above the economic level fewer natives would be employed. Moreover, with one voice Government pays lip service to increased white settle- ment ; with another it tries to induce the African to " grow more crops." If the native is to spend most of his time farm- ing unscientifically, for himself or for export, vide the recent destocking campaign in the Ukamba reserve, he cannot simul- taneously be available to work for the colonist.
Numbers of Jewish refugees might very easily suffer, be- cause of their recent and past treatment, from an inferiority complex. If they did, they might not then be ideal people to come in close contact with the African, who can extremely easily be adversely influenced by too much " kindness." The Jewish refugee might, quite unintentionally perhaps, regard both the African and the Indian as " oppressed " races, which would do no good to any race in Kenya.
Another question is in what spirit would these Jews come to Kenya ? Would they remain first and foremost German Jews whose heart and soul stayed with " The Fatherland " ? Do they consider themselves persecuted by the Germans as a race, or by the Nazi regime? If they feel their exile is due only to the latter there always will be left with them their love of the Fatherland, and the longing to go back in more auspicious circumstances. Possibly they might set about trying to create a second Fatherland in Kenya, or aim to link up with the Germans, of whom there are many, by no means all Nazis, in Tanganyika Territory. Finally, do they feel Jews racially or Germans ? If the latter, they can hardly be regarded as ideal people to settle in Kenya.
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