ESPERANTO ACTIVITIES

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 115, 9 February 1938, Page 6

ESPERANTO ACTIVITIES

Distinguished Visitors Distinguished British' Esperanto visitors to the weekly meeting of the AVellingtou Esperanto Club on Monday night were Mr. William E. Clayton, (J.8.E., of London, and his wife. Mr. Clayton was formerly treasurer and vice-president of. the British Esperanto Association, and president of the Scottish federation, and only ill-health and the necessity of wintering abroad compelled him to refuse. the presidency of the British association. Mrs. Clayton has been an Esperantist for more than thirty years, and she is probably the only direct link New Zealand Esperantists hayc had with the creator of the language, Dr. Zamenbof, for she met him at a congress some time before the war. Both Mr. and Mrs. Clayton addressed members of the club, and congratulated the New Zealand Esperanto movement on its steady progress and enthusiasm. Mr. Clayton declared that attendance at many international congresses had strengthened his opinion that in Esperanto there was tremendous power, for good. Mrs. Clayton gave sidelights into the early career and struggles of Zameuhof. Zamenliof, she said, had developed the language from boyhood, and he was sent down from his university for attempting to teach it to his fellowstudents; his father, enraged, burned ail the material bis son had collected. But be continued to work, purely from love of the conception that in one language, used for international conversation, there could be developed a great force for peace. “To the end of bis days,” said Mrs. Clayton, “Dr. Zamenbof was poor, AA’here others would have commercialised the work, he worked purely for the sake of the language.” ~ . In the absence of the president, Mr. E. Hbrnblow, Mr. Vernon Leek, vice-presi-dent, presided over a full attendance.. He outlined plans for the club’s activities during the coming year. ' Classes were afterward continue!! under the direction of Mr. A. Vogt. An entertaining mock court skit was presented under the direction . of M’--® Florence Bennett, the cast being: Judge, Air. Gordon Blong; prosecutor Air. Frank Bailey; defending counsel, Mr. C. Gooch; witnesses, Mrs. H. Campbell, Messrs. P.- McCrea. N. Hill, J. Allan, R. Saunders L. Smith, and J. Thomas; policeman. Mr. C. Toomer. It was announced that a dance would be held after next Monday’s classes. Mr.. Lloyd Jowers, an Australian Esperantist, who has recently settled in New Zealand, conveyed greetings from tbe Sydney Esperanto Club.