The San Francisco call., 1897-06-20
A CONGRESS OF MINIS.

Preliminary arrangements have been
made for the biggest voting contest in the
worlds history. 1t takes in people of all
nations and all languages on all the con-
tinenIs ana all the i'm portant islands of
the globe. Its object is the sci, ction of an
international language.
few years ago the Volapuk language
was hailed by some as the practical
realization Of the dream of a common
medium of international Communication.
But the Voapuk furor died away, and
then came l.. Sam enkofof Grodno, Russia,
with his Esperanto language, which many
assert to be an improvement on Volapuk.
Comparatively few people know anything
about either of these artificial languages.
and as an agreement among peoples of
different tongues is necessary in the natter
of selecting language for universal use,
Mr.. Samenhof has set on fort the scueme
of a written congress for the discussion
and decision of the demand for an inter-
national language"
Circular letters have been sent to the
principal journals of all countries, out
lining the plan of the contest, in VIII ch
every body who has an opinion on the
above-m m ent toned subject is at liberty TO
take part. Such a language, of course,
would in no way aim at superseding the
existing national tongues. lis object
would be simply tc avoid the en- normous
expenditure OF BILE time in the learn
ing of many foreign languages, which,
when learned, only enable us 10 com
municate with few nations and to be-
come acquainted with a very small por-
ton of the worlds literature. For this
unsatisfactory state of affairs the founder
of Esperanto thinks there should be sub
stituted the infinitely more economical
task of learning "a single foreign Ian
guage, which should enable US to COM
municate with all nations and to draw at
pleasure from the WELL spring of contem-
porary literature"
Despite the fact that for about two hun
dred years the problem of a universal lam
guage has had time and thought ex pended
OH it no great progress has been made
Millions favor the idea, but the question
as to which particular language should be
learned is the Stumbling block One says
Volapuk; another, Esperanto; third,
one of the existing national languages; a
fourth, one of the dead languages, and a
fifth wants an altogether new language
W Uc ~ ID tudb iu6
friends of the idea unite, and having by
common counsel and consent chosen some
one language, labor unanim ousiy for the
diffusion of that particular tongue. To
accomplish ali this Mr.. Samenhof pro-
poses a congress of intellects. Every body
who participates in the written conven-
.ion will have a right to vote on the ques-
tion of selection.
To those who are eager for literary fame,
who have perfect confidence in their
merits and yet have suffered through the
marble-hearted inappreciation of the
publishing craft this appears to be
golden opportunity. Any one desiring 10
express his ideas Oh, or motives for. the
adoption of this or that language is re-
quested to send to Mr.. Samenhof an essay
on the subject. The essay may be write
in any language.
"All papers so received. says this good
man of Grodno, "in whatever spirit con.
ceived, or in the interests of whatever
party writtea, will be printed in book
form, impartially and verbatim, with no