New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-23
ENGLISH AND ESPERANTO.

The holding of the Esperanto congress IN Eng
land is a reminder of the progress which has
been made by that artificial language in score
of years. 1t is just twenty years since Dr.
Zamenhoff sent forth the first edition OF little
pamphlet on An International Language lie
had devised that language as sort OF hH0U1
franca which should facilitate intercourse among
the Russians, Poles, Germans and Jews or MS
poIyglot native city of Bialystok, in Poland. Now
books and papers are published in it, and We
hear OF English church services conducted ana
sermons preached in it as tongue understanoeo
of the people 1t is used in France more winery
than elsewhere, but England, Japan, America
and other countries have taken it up seriously
and extensively, and there seems TO De some
ground for the thought that perhaps IL mas
come to stay not as the supplanter Oh any
existing language, but as an aid or supplement-
TO them all.
simultaneously with this congress, however d
significant petition has been presented 10 Tue
prussiap Minister of Education, asking that in
struction ia the English language be made obiig-
atory in all the public high schools Of that KING
dom. The petition is signed by the representa-
tives Of industrial and commercial Organizations
throughout the country, headed by the presluent
OF the Association of Berlin Merchants ana
Manufacturers and is phrased Id remarNapIe
manner especially in view Of the rivalry ana
antagonism which are supposed to exist bet"eeh
Germany and Great Britain. 1t frankly declares
that "England's predominant position IN the
world is manifest; the whole world is pervaded
nv the English spirit-EngElsher GeiSt-and 1t
is necessary therefore for those who would COM
pete with England to get in touch win her
through a knowledge of her history, her constltu-
ton and laws, her political policy and her Dusl-
ness methods; and to that end the most impor-
tant means is knowledge OF the English IAN
guage.
This amounts to practical recognition OF the
great progress which English has made toward
universal utility If not universal 1t is not
supposable that there ever Will or could De d
universal language In the full sense of the term
"a language which would be the native mother
tongue of all lands and nations. But there may
be language SO predominant as to be the sec
ond choice Of practically all the world and 10
be an international vehicle Of communication.
This Esperanto aims TO be, but, while It has been
aiming, English has, we are inclined to think,
shot its bolt and hit the target Just as Greek,
with all its intricacies and complexities, was
once the HnJud frDncu of the commercial world,
and French with its difficulties Of pronunciation,
was the same to the diplomatic world, so English
bids fair to serve all the world The one handi-
cap is its spelling but that is not nearly as heavy
as some of our spelling reformers would have
Us think On the other hand, its grammar is
model Of simplicity. That in the race for uni
versaI use English will be beaten by Esperanto
is not imaginable. The latter has no literature,
no traditions and little expression. Formed with
scientific regularity and devoid of exceptions TO
rules, it is entirely mechanical, and. however
useful II may be for some purposes. ii can never
rival language rich with the literature and
the traditions Of centuries coplous in its vocab-
ulary even beyond all requirements, and flexible
and comprehensive to degree satisfying TO the
most exacting mind.