With the Judæans in the Palestine CampaignPatterson, J. H. (John Henry)
History
With the Judæans in the Palestine Campaign
Patterson, J. H. (John Henry)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Palestine; World War, 1914-1918 -- Participation, Jewish
"With the deepest reluctance and regret I must say that I
consider this action shows ingratitude. I do not deserve it at
the hands of the British Authorities. From the first days of
this War I have worked and struggled for British interests. I am
neither a British subject nor an immigrant. I had never been in
the United Kingdom or in any British Dominion before this War. I
came to England in 1915 as a Russian Journalist, correspondent
of the oldest Liberal paper in Russia, the Moscow _Wiedomosti_.
As a correspondent I did my best to explain to the Russian
public the British effort and to combat the anti-British
propaganda. At the same time I started on my own initiative a
pro-Entente and pro-British propaganda amongst neutral and
Russian Jewry. At that time many Jews bitterly resented
England's alliance with Russia. In the autumn, 1915, I founded a
Yiddish fortnightly (_Di Tribune_) in Copenhagen, which took up
a strong anti-German and anti-Turkish attitude. Its articles
were constantly quoted in the American Jewish Press, and found
their way even into Germany and Austria. Here again I have the
right to say that I was one of the few--perhaps one of the _two_
men (counting Dr. Weizmann first)--responsible for the origin of
the present pro-British attitude of all Jewry. I may add that I
did all this at my own expense, or with means provided by my
Zionist friends, without any support from any British source.
Against this I know of no facts which could justify the
attitude taken up by G.H.Q., E.E.F. I have never heard of any
complaint or censure of my conduct as Officer or Man; I have
never been informed or even given a hint that anything in my
activity could be objected to.
My compulsory Demobilization under these conditions will throw
a slur on my name. I consider it unjust. I request that it be
annulled, and that I be reinstated in my well-earned position
as an Officer of the Judæans."
A reply to this appeal was never received, and I do not know whether it
ever reached the Army Council.
Thus came about the victimization of Jabotinsky, the man who had done so
much for England in her hour of need; who had over and over again in the
firing line shown that he was prepared to make even the last great
sacrifice itself in the cause for which England was fighting. As a
reward for all his devotion to England he was, by strange and un-English
devices, practically drummed out of the Army.
I think my readers will agree with me that the scandalous course of
action pursued by the Staff of the E.E.F. in the case of Lieutenant
Jabotinsky would, if it became popular in high places, soon bring our
country to ruin and rob us of our fair name.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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