Esperanto

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6621, 6 August 1931, Page 5

Esperanto

At the W.E.A. on Tuesday evening Mr. Rod Ross delivered to a large audience a very interesting lecturo on Esperanto. Mr. Ross commenced, by stressing the urgent necessity lor a universal language. The League of Nations realised tho need because of the fact that business was very much retarded through every speech delivered having to be translated into so many languages before the whole personnel of the League understood what was spokcu. International contcrences of Chambers of Commerce, comprising over 200 delegates had conducted their business in Esperanto. Thirty-nine schools in. Britain aro teaching Esperanto, and in Russia and part of Germany it is a compulsory subject. It is being taught iu day classes iu hundreds of towns in 17 countries, evening classes in 1200 towns in 39 countries. Thirtythree countries have 177 broadcasting stations. Tho largest broadcasting m tho world at Geneva is owned by Esperantists. Tho Esperanto Press comprises about 100 newspapers and periodicals. Tho library of the Esperanto Association consists of 7500 volumes, including the Bible and well-known classics. Tho following strongly recommend the teaching of Esperanto: international Telegraph Unions, Rotary Clubs, Teachers’ Associations, Conference of Scientists, Red Cross Society, International Union of Broadcasters, International Labour Office. Mr. Ross by means of a blackboard demonstrated the superiority of Esperanto to other evolved languages becauso it was impossible to mistake the meaning. He instanced the case of tho Frenchman who translated Mr. H. G. Wells’ book, “Mr. Britling Sees it Through,” and who through misunderstanding the phrase of the title, entitled his translation, “Mr. Britling Sees Through it.” “That mistake,” said Mr. Ross “could not possibly have been made in Esperanto.” All nouns in Esperanto end with tho letter O, the plural nouns with tho addition of j. Adjectives end in a, but tho adjectives governing a plural noun also take the additional j. Adverbs end iu c. The chaDgc iu verbs is uniform, thero being no exception to tho rule so that at a glanco one can distinguish tho different cases. Tho use of prepositions iu English were sometimes confusing while in Esperanto every shade of meaning was brought out clearly. In before the final o in a masculine noun indicates the femine, id tho immediate dccendaut of as RegoKing, Itegido-Prince; ct inserted in a word has a diminishing effect as ai botree, arbeto a small tree while ar indicates a collection as arbaro a forest of trees; eg augments size as arbego a large tree; ej always indicates place as hundo-day hundejo a kennel. After the discussion an animated discussion took place and a hearty voto of thanks was accorded Mr. Ross for his interesting address. It was decided to form an Esperanto class under the tutorship of Mr. Ross, about 20 handing in their names