The Chief Scout Talks

Taranaki Daily News, 7 December 1929, Page 25 (Supplement)

The Chief Scout Talks

LANGUAGES HELP IN SCOUTING.

(By Lt.-Gen. Lord Baden-Powell.)

When I was a young soldier in India, more years ago than I like to tell you, I did not have the same chances that my seniors did of getting leave of absence and going out into the jungle for some distance to get shooting. But after a time I found I could get just as good sport as they got, only I could get it quite near' to the place where I was quartered. Indeed a good deal of my best shooting and hunting was done within the sound of the barrack bugles. The secret of my success in this was merely that I had taken the trouble to learn the language of the country, so that I could talk to the Indians, and they

Often when out pig-sticking and we lost sight of our quarry a villager would tell us where'the boar was to be found.

had been quite friendly, and had expressed their wonder why all tho officers took the trouble to go so far away for their sport when they could have got it quite close at home among the ravines. But then these had not learned the language, and could not understand the inhabitants of the place if they told them about it. Offen and often when out pigsticking, and we had lost sight of our quarry, a villager would come up and tell us where the boar was to be found, and I was fortunately able to understand him where another man would have missed some good sport. Then another good sport I have enjoyed has been that of spying for war purposes in an enemy’s country, and you

might just as well try to boil your billy without a fire as try to spy without a knowledge of foreign languages. It is difficult enough if you only know one. It is much better to know two or three so'as to divert suspicion, or bo able to pass from one country to another. It is not enough.merely to know how to read or write the language or the grammar of it; it is of the greatest importance that you should be able to talk it with some of the everyday slang of the* country, and with the action of which a good many nations accompany their talk. That is where Scouting comes in. A fellow who, like a Scout, is accustomed to notice little details not only of dress I and appearance, but of manners and actions, can very soon pick these up for* , himself and so make himself much more readily understood and in sympathy with tho people he is talking to. GREAT FUN. For myself, at one time, when I was learning Italian, I used to act the one word “ma” which means “but.”

In Italian it means so very many different things, according to the way you say it, and the way you shrug your, shoulders or spread your hands in accompaniment. I have always found it great fun to learn a new language, especially by watching the people who use it. At the same time it is of course necessary to learn the words of the language by reading and writing them, and I know of no better way than by reading foreign, newspapers, and by getting into correspondence by letter with a fellow from another country who is willing to write to you in his own language and to correct your faults when you write to him. That, is one reason why in the Scout movement we are now encouraging fel- ' lows to take up correspondence with their brother Scouts abroad. It helps you and it help the other Scout to learn, each other’s language. Then, when we have our big Jamborees, with Scouts from all nations mixed together in camp, think how useful it j is if you can act as an interpreter or at any rate be able to speak one language besides English. Think, too, how much more quickly you can make friends with brother Scouts from every part of the ■world; and, incidentally, how much nicer it will be to pay your brother Scout a return visit later on if you understand a little of his language. Spanish is a very useful language which I should recommend Scouts to learn, besides French. It is a language which is spoken and understood in a great many countries besides Spain, and is a most useful one for commerce and trade everywhere. *•