University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1909-02-26

OF Missouri, has th1s 10 I'd. dOo"t III
struction i'm the Russian language:
..To the Editor of the Courier journal
1T is impossible for one who Is glvei
to the study of modern languages mol
to notice how rapidly the Russian IAN
euare is being taken up and pursued
i'm the great centers of culture. NJ
longer ago than 1871. Bismarck wrote
to the Russian Premier GOrtclakOf tac'
cent the last syllablel letter on State
matters in the German language, a Ian
p,layc well known in Western Russia
and which nearly every Russian noble
can speak. The willy Russian. who, III
diplomatic business. had been used to
employ, as do most ministers OF state,
the French language. and who would
not readily acknowledge German su-
prcmacv. even though France had Just
been subducd, replied to Bismarck in
Russian. The story goes that Bis
marck was occupied several days in
hunting down, even in Berlin. person
competent to translate Prince GOrtclla-
kofrs letter. This would seem incred-
iblc were we not assured by DIR. Schiller
mann. the cxcavator of Troy, in his
amusing account of his desperate at
tempt to learn the Russian language,
that he could hear of no one in the
great commercial city of Hamburg. but
the Russian Consul. who could speak
Russian Since the Turko- Russian
| War. and the subsequent schemes of
conquest by the T>ar in the center of
Asia. attention has been gradually
more and more drawn toward the speech
and the literature of Russia. The Brit
ish Government offered Il career tn
learners of Russian. employed AleNan-
drofski to make good Russian Eng
li>h dictionary tnow. by the way. to he
found in the Louisville Free Public Ii
brary). and Professor Riola To inau@u-
rate classes in Russian in the Cniver
sity of London. Riola's How tn Learn
Russian" is large duodccimo volume.
formed on the Allcndorif plan. but
more scicnt Iiic. more useful. and more
sensible. and contains Il complete intro
duction I" the pronunciation. Riola is
sued graduated lessons in reading. be-
"innin" with short sentences. like the old
Greek and Latin school readers. rising
to prose and poetry OF Gogal. Do>toief
sky. Lomono>oi. Tol>toi. Pu-hkin. and
Others. For German and French and
English students Russian chre>tomath
les are multiplying. When | began the
study Of Russian Years ago had IL
send IL Quaritch in London for books |
| received lleard> Russian Grammar.
prepared by James Heard. AT the /
Worlds Fair in Chicago. Glanced upon /.
Il grandson Of this James Heard. EN-
ployri in the Russian exhibit The or |
iCiual Heard. author vi the grammar /
had remained in Russia under imperial .
protection. The grandson in Chicago /
had forgotten how IL pronounce his .
name. He pronounced il Gu-r-rd. with /
r trillri. The word Heard cannot b. /
written i'll Russian. a. Russian has not .
the letter III. The name was written
'eard. The Russian & i sometimes
pronounced H.. a> in gr>pic,iar tlor,ii.I
He was an English tutor Of the T>ar'>
'hildrcn. This book was published in
l>2>- IL was an empty. jejunr. t'ahhr
'tri"rnancr. Useless for learner who
rai worked in the scientific method O,
'rceS ana Latin masters AleNar-
.r"if>ki'> Russian Grammar. which
anne also. WAS no better. Later. in my
.i>crura cement. -, from Germany
Scitf'> Ru>>i>rhr Crammaiik. and began
ny study in the German language. un
'r 4 most N'mp2:cn, Teacher. in The,
V>>t grammar yc; Known oi Russian.
scits> Russian Grammar i uow in
.nS'i>h ani frcn,h. have r>amiu,>:
hem Al, and lNn> ~ the English
A. uu,h fuller ami l~,;;c~
han the German vr the rrcnlh. Tn,
ran'nlaT. with rraiinS lessons ~: W. L
''rt', i IeN'- hy the >j!c =: il None .
: these h>oN> an Yuh'i>hs>! in Ara
-i'S- In l>>>. a::cv Hear, No'; \ C,,.
New lNr>, printed rr hN,> ~ Ecr. :
IAN FvV';>'> ana >;::s>s> >in,,, ,ran>
.;": in;N ''cCu'Au anG Y-ju,s>! IN Len
] .N-r--,.f