The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-07-06
yperanto, the Universal Language
By Frederic j. Haskin --=z

Suages oner. One authority points this
%L 3%t IN the translation Of the Bible.
mere are keys for Esperanto now print.
Already there are twenty-f1e iSnT,
nails printed in that tongue, one be.
ing OF q purely, scientific nature, while
many daily and weekly papers in En-.
rope have set the pace for America
Dy giving space to news and ESSAYS in
the easy, new language. A stenographic
course mas been compiled for il and
typewriters with Esperanto kew boards
have been made. There are naany Es.
peranto societies throughout the
world, one in Paris having mem.
bership of 5000.
In 1905 the first Esperanto congress
was held at Boulogne-sur Mer. There
were 1900 delegates, representing TWEEN
ty-t"o nations interested in the tongue.
ana me reports showed its successful
application in all European countries
IN Australia and some countries of the
ORIENT. 1t was pointed out at this
congress that a great door of communi-
cation could be opened for the blind
throughout the world by means of Es-
Peranto; that 1t is easily amenable to
the uses of the telegraphic code, and
that until this or some like language
be adopted for international and uni
versal communication, scientific and
literary progress would be barred from
some people as effectually as old
Cathay was barred from the rest of the
world by the great Chinese wall,
At the International Peace congress
at IM2erne one of the addresses was
made in Esperanto and was understood
by many present. At the great Chris
tlan Endeavor convention at Geneva
Ill 1905, which preceded by month the
second international Peace congress,
Rev. r. P. Anderson of Norway Of
fered prayer in Esperanto, for the
first time in the history of the world
offering a petition in a tongue which
all might understand AT Boulogne
the new language was tried in oratory,
poetry, argument and small-talk, and
proved good. A play of Moliere IS was
given at this time. the characters being
taken by actors from seven different
countries. each Of whom knew not the
language of the others, and the play
ran smoothly in Esperanto, being un-
derstood and ei&yed by all.
All the while world congresses are
becoming more necessary and the fact
that most OF the addresses are given
in French, English and German does
not place them in reach of every dele
gate, Scientific discoveries are as char
acteristic of Holland, Denmark, Rus
sia, Spain, Italy, Sweden and Norway
as they are of the Teutonic and Anglo
Saxon lands, and the reports in the
congresses should be understandable
to their delegates, as well as to 9th
ers. This became most noticeable at
the scientific congress held in Paris
in 1900, and body Of men represent
ing the leading academies or scientific
societies of Europe and America was
appointed to suggest some expedlent
means of direct communication, The
commission meets triennialy, and wheth~
err it will eventually decide on Esper
anto as the official language of their
conventions remains to be seen.
DR.. Zamenhof's first pamphlet on
his new language appeared in 1857, and
at once attracted attention. From Rus
sia, it's birthplace, the language tray-
eled into Sweden. then to France,
where NJ de Beaufort generously gave
up the universal language he had just
devised in favor of this better one and
became its ardent advocate. Austria,
Switzerland, Italy and England followed
in becoming interested in it, and
America and the Orient came next. Its
advocates are firm in the belief of the
permanency of Esperanto, and look for.
ward TO that Utopian day when 1T shall
reverse the disaster caused by the con-
fusion of tongues at Babel