SIGN CODE

Evening Star, Issue 20987, 29 December 1931, Page 2

SIGN CODE

VIRTUE OF CHINESE INTERNATIONAL NOTICES Perhaps some day one may ride through the streets oi Franco and see a Chinese sign for motorists which means “ stop,” and another Chinese symbol which means “turn right.” And if they are to be found in Franco they may bo found in every other country so that the harassed traveller who does not speak foreign languages may .find his way about with the aid of a few simple ideographs. At least that may happen if Sir E. Denison Ross, who has been lecturing in the United States, finds receptive ears—and eyes—for his universal symbol language, says the New York ‘ Times.’ He has adopted Chinese characters for his purpose because he feels they are more simple than Esperanto and other attempts at universal languages, and that they will fill a great need on the part of those who do not desire to master the intricacies of foreign vocabularies and rules of grammar. His acquaintance with Chinese is intimate, hut he does not ntend that those who use his new method of symbolic communication shall master the Chinese language—that would be too difficult; a knowledge of only a few symbols would be necessary. . Long ago it appeared to him, after experimenting with children and learning the ease with which they mastered a few Chinese ideographs, that h'ero was the solution to international communication. Because he has very positive thoughts on world peace, he also believed that a simple international code would aid in preventing wars. But his immediate desire is to have countries adopt his symbols as aids to travellers, with the hope that next would come , the use of similar symbols for writing letters intended for foreign eyes. At the most a few hundred symbols would be sufficient, he believes. SMALL STOCKS. It has been found, for instance, that a knowledge of a few hundred English words is necessary to express almost every idea, and the ordinary person’s vocabulary is not much above that. Consequently, it would not be necessary to memorise many Chinese characters. 'About fifty of them, he says, bear a close resemblance to the pictures from which they arc derived, and nearly all the others can bo explained logically. Chinese symbols are built up of these fundamental picture signs, so that the sign for a man in a house would be something that looked like a man with a roof over his head “ It may seem fantastic and a little mad at first.” Sir Denison said, “ but really it is very_ simple, Chinese symbols have definite meanings obtained by various combinations. They are easily learned, and can always bo recognised at a glance. They would save us a lot of trouble at times. Recently in Holland I was riding with an English chauffeur. He came to a street we wished to enter, but there wns a sign at the entrance saying that it was ‘ verboten.’ So we went-a long way around to reach our destination. The next day we saw a car turning into the street, and learned that the sign indicated that only motor cycles were forbidden. But wo could not read Dutch. One of these symbols would have told the chauffeur what was meant, whether the sign was in Holland, France, or India' BY TELEGRAPH. “ That is the most obvious uso of the symbols, but suppose we went further and had small books prepared giving various phases or words in the different languages, and opposite these

words tho Chinese symbol and a number. It would then bo easy for anyone, after a little practice, to ,copy what symbols ho needed and send them to those with whom ho wished to communicate. When the letter was received it could be quickly translated with the aid of a similar book into tho language of the receiver. And if it were necessary to send a telegtnm it could be communicated by means of the numbers which would accompany tho symbols. That is tho way Chinese is transmitted by telegraph in China today, for the symbols cannot be sent by arty code except numbers. “As examples take a few simple phrases which I have had written by a Chinese so that they would be perfect in form. It would not be difficult to recognise some of them in a short time, oven without the aid of tho book, and with tho book almost any such message could be recognised and translated in a few minutes. It would be invaluable for commercial firms, and clerks could learn it in a short time. “ Wo must begin by making a basic Chinese with an Esperanto grammar, and all Esperanto grammar could bo written on one small sheet of paper. I have not yet prepared tho grammar for this system, for I wished to see first how it would be received. As a matter of fact, I had no idea of advancing this symbol language when 1 came to this country, but had my own interest revived by the apparent interest of others to whom I happened to mention it as an old idea of mine. 1 have no plans for, putting it into effect; that can only come through popular .approval, and I am more _ concerned now with observing how it is received than with concrete plans for having it adopted. FOR AND AGAINST. “ The order of words offers some difficulty; for instance, tho placing of tho verb; but as German is about the only language which places the verb at tho end of the sentence it is probable that the English usage would bo better. The reason I am using Chinese signs is that they are ready to hand; none of tho peculiar idioms woidd bo required. And obviously such a language is not intended for belles lettres, poetry, or essays; it is essentially telegraphic in style. “ There is also the possibility which has been suggested to mo that with visual telegraphy in process of development a message could be received on a screen and copied, rather than communicated by numbers. That would save much time. _ It could bo used for captions on moving pictures intended for export, and I believe that. woidd perhaps bo the best way to have it finally adopted. Audiences in foreign countries would soon become used to recognising tho few simple symbols which are necessary.” Sir Denison does not believe that men would ever learn to think in a common language, which would bo tho great bar to. Esperanto. That language would be of value for scholars and scientists, and ho encourages its use for learned publications..