BASIS FOR PEACE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 95, 23 April 1945, Page 2

BASIS FOR PEACE

UNIVERSAL FRIENDSHIP

THE VALUE OF ESPERANTO

"Obviously no plans for post-war reconstruction, which included international friendship and goodwill as a basis for future peace, can afford to ignore Esperanto as a channel for understanding inter-communica-tion," said Mr. C. Brandon, the president, at the annual meeting of the Auckland Esperanto Association. "Therefore, all primary schools the world over should include the teaching of Esperanto as a major item in their carriculums—a simple, easy international language as an auxiliary to one's own. Esperanto is entirely free from any present national bias, which entirely precludes the use of an auxiliary language based on any existing nation's own. tongue," added Mr. Brandon. "Esperanto is the one great idea that holds the greatest potentiality for world peace, because it makes practicable universal understanding and through that universal friendship." To illustrate the value of Esperanto, Mr. Brandon referred to a report of a recent broadcast from Fiji by Dr. Fred Williams concerning his world-wide experience with the language. After using it in North China and elsewhere for some years he was transferred to Papua, and while there corresponded with people of nearly 100 different nationalities by means of it. Then, in 1936, he went for a trip round the world, meeting Esperantists everywhere. He took part in a summer school at Elsinore, in Denmark, attended by 200 people from 14 different countries, all with the friendship of perfect understanding.

But his greatest experience was in Warsaw, where he attended the Jubilee Congress of Esperanto, a world-wide representative gathering. At the opening ceremonies 1000 representatives from over 30 countries, and a further 1000 visitors from neighbouring countries, all understanding everything that was said, and without the intervention of an interpreter. How different to the usual world conferences, with their inevitable misunderstandings, and even deliberate misinterpretations, said Mr. Brandon. During the following week there were dozens of meetings—literary, scientific and social. The Protestant Church, the Roman Catholic, the Jewish and others, all held services in Esperanto. Hotels printed menus in it, and newsboys and porters greeted wearers of the green star in the international language.