ESPERANTO CLUB

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 23, 22 October 1936, Page 4

ESPERANTO CLUB

Report Krom World Congress

•flie weekly meeting of the Wellington Esperanto Club was held in the hall of the Tararua Tramping Club, Grey Street. Mr. Vernon J. Leek, D.8.E.A., who presided, announced that he and Mr. Gordon Blong, of the club, had won a joint prize of twenty-five gulden awarded by the Netherlands publication "Wij” for greetings from the most distant country. This famous Dutch magazine hud recently incorporated au Esperanto section to popularise its attractive features abroad. Mr. Bertram Potts, vicepresident, announced that the club bud received Esperanto propaganda from the Budapest Fair, one of tin; many leading European fairs which issued circulars and posters in the international language. Italy was broadcasting talks in Esperanto on its scenic attractions every week, and forwarded to the club a monthly tabulation in Esperanto of the talks in other languages also. The town of Klagenfurt, in Austria, had forwarded tourist publicity in Esperanto.

Air. Potts said a lengthy report had been received from Mr. Edgar Hornblow, a member of the club at present touring Em-ope with his wife and lecturing iu the international language on the scenic attractions of New ZiNiland. Mr. Hornblow referred at length to his wonderful experiences at the recent twentyeighth World Congress of Esperantists, held in Vienna at the invitation of the Austrian Government. Over 2006 Esperantists were present from 40 different countries, the only language used being Esperanto. He had saluted the congress in the name of the New Zealand Esperanto Association and the Wellington Esperanto Club. The speech went over so well that he was asked to speak over the .air with several of the leaders of the movement. The congress had lasted for several days, during which time he had bad the privilege of attending many meetings and conversing with Esperantists of many nationalities. Esperanto was a growing force for peace, enabling the i;e o A2 s Ike world to smash with oue blow the barrier of language and all its concomitant unfortunate misunderstandings. The outstanding feature of the congress was the smooth running of every phase. There was no loss of time wailing for several translations. At the end of meetings there was no grouping of nationals to discuss the events of the day. During the congress he had attended <a Esperanto presentation of "White Horse Inn" in the largest theatre iu Vienna—one of the most spectacular performances he had ever seen_. The house was packed. Ever.v word rang out clearly as a bell and tire simultaneous laughter from floor to gallery that greeted the witticisms was a testimony to the living force of Esperanto and tlie genius of Dr. Zamenhof, the author.

At the conclusion of classes Miss Mildred M. 'Williams and Mrs. D. Burgess presented an original playlet written in Esperanto by Miss Williams. Instead of the usual programme a letter-evening took place, the president reading postcards aud letters of greeting from clubs and individual Esperantists in the Netherlands, Portugal, Czechoslovakia, Poland, France, Germany, Denmark, U.S.A., Sweden and Finland.