ESPERANTO MOVEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 1, 3 January 1927, Page 7

ESPERANTO MOVEMENT

AN AUXILIARY LANGUAGE

TO PROMOTE WORLD PEACE

ALREADY FIVE MILLIONS SPEAK

Esperant, which has been promoted as a means of explicit speech, and clearer understanding between races, was used recently in a London marriage ceremony to give extra emphasis to the bride's "I will." When the bride signified her willingness to enter the ■ wedded state by replying "mi Tolas,' 3 it was recognised that Esperanto was entering the practical realm o£ serious contract. ■ . In recent'years the'world has greatly increased its interest in. the so-called .auxiliary languages, says the "New York Times."- About 300 of them have been devised in times past. A language that all nations could clearly [ understand and easily learn was first discussed in the Roman. Empire. In the days of the Caesars a single word language was thought necessary because there was only one .world Piwer; but the twentieth century has evolved a League of Nations which seeks unity and understanding among many Powers. " .' . The project for a world language has long been the plaything of philosophers. Advocates of an international 1 language have in the past -included numerous philosophers and scientists, among whom arc Roger Bacon, Descartes, Pascal, Locke, Voltaire, and Diderot. Leib-. nitz thought out a number language, which even' now, since one speaks so lightly of billions,'seems highly complex. Another German devised an artificial lingo, Volapuk, as forbidding as its name sounds. It.was a jumble of .German and English, comprehensible to the natives of either land. At about this time Dr. L. L. Zameuhof emerged from the seclusion of his library with the much more pleasing Esperanto. Its name carried a hope which in the past four decados has become a reality. Esperanto is to-day being spoken, it is reported, by 5,000,000 people. SMALL BEGINNINGS. The Esperanto movement began in 1887, and only small progress was made during its first ten yeai-a, and that chiefly in Russia. ' After "the lapse of a, decade, a start was made to introduce the, Zamenhof idea among the Norwegians and Swedes. They, too, became its advocates. . Then Prance developed interest, and soon became a stronghold for the,.new language system. .From Prance .the movement extended to Germany, theuce to Austria, bwitzerland, Italy, and England. In the latter country thirty societies were organised within a year of the intro- • duction of Esperanto. Of all the; synthetic languages Esperanto remains the most popular Congresses are held annually to which the initiated flock from the four corners of the globe.- Newspapers in many countries contain articles in Esperanto; for example, a German daily publishes i a column of financial news in that_:language,- many, medical journals in Japan print technical treatises in it, and a new Russian scientific magazine uses Esperanto in its leading cdiEuropean statesmen consider the spread of Esperanto of such importance that they have persuaded several Governments to give. official recognition to the movement and to aid it financially. In some countries it has been introduced in. the schools and has become a part of the compulsory curriculum, ia the United States it is beginning to gam a considerable foothold. This winter four 'schools, two in' New York' onp in Boston, and one in Washington' have addea.it to the list of studies they have to offer. ; ■.•■■■ :■■■ In San Francisco the study of Esperantois obligatory in the Montezumi School, and the Stanford University gives a credit to all who have taken the course. Vassar. has placed it in its curriculum, and for the first time last summer it appeared-, on the programme of Columbia University. Many educators see not only an inherent value in Esperanto, but find it of use in the study of other languages, the stern logic of its fundamental principles giving, it: is said, the pupil a better of language construction. ■■..■-■, „ . ; • In Europe, where one of, the main difficulties in-the path of international accord; lies in the differences iri language, Esperanto has. already received wide endorsement from legislative bodies representing millions of people. The League of Nations Assembly has requested its member nations to accept Esperanto on Jan equal basis with seven other, plain languages in-telegraph and cable dispatches; the World Congress of Chambers of. Commerce has express-' ed its desire that it be adopted as a' commonl, commercial language, and the World Conference of Academies of Natural and Applied Sciences has pronounced itself in favour of using Esperanto as the international language of science. . : .;■ ■SoveraV French, English,, and American publishers have, undertaken, publication, of Esperanto works. Yari°"S' Esperanto publishing houses jn different countries turn out many books each ,year. More than 5000, volumes, including text-books, translated and original works, are now listed in the Esperanto catalogues. Some large - commercial firms are using the: system for cable and telegraphic purposes. Several of the standard typewriters are 'equipped with Esperanto keyboards, and in consequence stenographers are learning the use of the language.. Thus Esperanto is not only the language of the"" intelligentsia. Throughout Central Europe it is popular among the working classes,; ..who':, consider"it .sensible and easily learned. The grammar consists of only sixteen rules. The verbs are all regular, there being only one conjugation and only twelve verb endings. A STRANGELY FAMILIAR SOUND. All nouns end in o, adjectives in a, verbs in. i, and adverbs in c. To those who hear'it it has a strangely familiar sound, as of some tongue learned in early youth, for the Toot' words are taken from the prevailing languages. There are specialised vocabularies in Esperanto, as, for example, terms adapted to law, science, or affairs of State. But Esperantists 'see in their language not merely words held together on a framework of grammar. To them it is a medium for gaining world peace, a common language in'which all peoples can express themselves with, clarity— for it aims at clarity, not subtlety—• and they contend its use will bring about better international understanding. The auxiliary language has the advantage that it is no man's and every man's language; it is free from all thought of nationalism. The need for a means of expression that will help men to cast aside all feeling of race and nationality has never been so urgent, the advocates of an international tongue assert. In every other field, they say, society has developed adequate means of intercon*munication! Now that the nations of the world are aiming at closer co-opera-tion the time has come when they must be ablo to exchange 'thoughts freely and without misunderstanding. ■In the League of Nations, where there are already English and' Preneh sessions, the business of wMeh must be translated, the South Americans have asked for Spanish sessions. Should the Germans add to this a plea for their mother tongue, and should both be granted, the League would stand a fair chance of rivalling the Tower of Babel.