A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.

Wairarapa Age, 20 August 1929, Page 3

A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.

ESPERANTO TOR ’WIRELESS. & THE FILMS. “For years the British Esperantists have been talking to the newspapers about the necessity of an international language (“International Language’’ observed recently) but the newspapers pay little attention until a foreign paper shows the way.” Recently, the Esperantist journal goes on to state, many English papers published long reports of the views of Herr Nils Krog, a Socialist writer of Hamburg. English, German, or French would not be suitable ae an international wireless or film language, Herr Krog contends. Since it is not feasible to employ ’■many languages with every film, Herr Krog thinks that, in order that all nations maf enjoy to the full the benefits of the new inventions, one of two courses must be pursued. Either each country must produce its own talking fihns, thus seriously limiting the usefulness and artistic benefit of this latest dramatie vehicle, or the bulk of production must be left in American hands, and a single, simple language, intelligible throughout the world, chosen as the medium of expression. “There are Americans who contend that only English can be used,” says Herr Krog. “They believe through the talking Stal the English language can be still further diffused, but they forget that they themselves do not speak good English, but rather only an American dialect. “They appear not to know that the American public does not regard Ix>ndon English very highly, while the English people look on American English as so much He goes on to declare that the lack of a universal language was hampering the development of international broadcasting, and points out that Esperanto, besides possessing simple grammar, international word stems, and adaptability to aU fields of human knowledge, was also logical and graceful. "It has all the advantages of a national language without the correeponding disadvantages," he concludes.