A NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL ANTHEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14345, 15 April 1910, Page 3

A NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL ANTHEM.

Sir,— see by to-day's paper that "Tho General" says " somebody or other ought to compose a national anthem for Nova Zealand;" but if ray memory serves me correctly this want is already covered by that composition of the versatile W. P. Reeves, entitled "God' Girt Her About , With Surges." p£Bcr H. Wood. April ft.

ESPERANTO. - • Sir, Permit me to offer a brief "com- : ment upon the article appearing in tha Herald on " The Universal Tongue." ':i Tho Esperanto language was originally designed by its inventor to serve as an " auxiliary." or " second " language for all. • He does not believe, nor do any of its 1 users, that it will replace, or, indeed, adversely affect any existing national tongue. That being so, it; is difficult to understand what sacrifice any nation would make if it decreed that all the children in its schools should learn it. To have them leaving school fitted to hold converse with peoples, of all other nations would seem to bo a desirable thing, and does not suggest anything especially ridiculous. 1 may' add by may of parenthesis that if philately is a dying craze, the need for international communication is not dying out with it. It is somewhat of a reproach to our modern civilisation that whilst it has increased with - wonderful rapidity the means of international intercourse—steamships, railways, cables, telephones, etc.—it has yet stopped short of the necessary accompanimont, namely, an international speech, and the astonishing thing is that when it is suggested. and efforts are made to introduce such a, time, labour, and money-saving instrument, those who are supposed to mould publio opinion are to. the fore to cast ridicule upon it. Well, 'twas ever thus, and Esperanto, following _ the track of other great inventions, is living down the ridicule, has done so, in fact, where it is knojyn, and is now flourishing in the great Continental nations, whilst its value is here being questioned. Geo. Aldridge, President N.Z.E.A.