The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-17

900, 900 Spanish, "a, ooo. 900, and French.
100000. The reasons why English ia
dlstancing all competitors In the race to
become world language are easy to see.
The English-speaking peoples have more
extensive business. educational, and social
relations with all the rest Of tho world than
those speaking any other language, and,
therefore. have a special advantage In
spreading the use Of their tongue. Further
more, they alone Of all peoples except the
Russians have room and to spare for an
enormous increase Of their own number In
their own domain Scores OF millions of this
increase will some day inhabit vast regions
OF North America, South Africa and Aus
tralia, where climate Is propitious and ca
pacity for supporting human life 10 still
unfathomed No other language except
the Russian can have the privilege Of so
enormous an extension in the regions where
1t Is already the vernacular.
1t has been said OF the English-speaking
peoples that they have contributed little
to the study Of language, though they have
gratefully accepted the labors Of foreign
philologists. This may be true. yet, though
the English race may not have added as
much to the science OF language as the
Germans have done, It has been spreading
It's language through the world and insur-
Ing It's future position as the language Of in
ternational business and Of diplomacy. We
see It's most important rivals to-day study
Ing English In all their advanced schools.
When the Congress- Of Social Science met at
Berlin In 1868, BISMARCK, then the Prus-
sian Premier, remarked to NJ. RENDU, the
French delegate: I've Germans are con-
versant with French and English almost
from birth, while you French have the dis
advantage to know no language but your
own He also said that ten years earlier
not a soul at the French Embassy at Ber-
lin understood a word Of German. A half
century ago the ignorance Of educated
Frenchmen OF foreign languages was no
torious. and that ignorance was both the
effect and the sign OF the supremacy Of
French before which foreigners bowed
down. That time has passed no one can
now accuse the French Of neglecting Eng
llsh and German, for they are studied at
present in every advanced school and col
lege OF France.
Eleven years ago the Volksraad Of the
South African Republic passed law for
bidding the use Of any language except
Dutch In the courts, In all public offices
and even in the transaction Of business in
the market places The Vice-President OF
the Republic, urging the passage OF the
measure, said it was not too much to ex-
pect that a people which had fought to be
free would uphold its own language; and as
for him. he would give every drop Of his
blood to maintain Dutch as the nationallan-
guage Of the Transvaal. To-day most OF
the newspapers OF that country are printed
in English. half the men speak nothing but
English, many OF the schools both In
Johannesburg and Pretoria, give instruc-
ton only in English, and all now foresee
that In the near future English is destined to
be the prevalent language. The increased
late years has been a subject OF remark In
recent reports Of meetings Of the Royal Ash
attic Society and Of interviews at the Chinese
Legation in London we have heard OF ORR
entails who speak our language as we'll as
though 1t were their native tongue, and in
other ways have shown again the capacity
for improvement OF the great Asiatic races
OF Japan, India, China and the islands Of
the sea, under the training OF the English
speaking peoples
Much has been said of late Of the destiny
OF the Anglo-Saxon to be the chief agent in
spreading enlightenment and progress
the earth. No sign points more
and Enthusiastically in that direo-
ton than the wonderfully rapid diffusion
of the English language. the expression Of
the energy, the science and the philosophy
that have made Western civilization the
dominant force OF the world.