The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-09-25
ENGLISH, THE VOLAPUK OF CHINA

books are closed by reason OF his ignor
ance OF their language.
This Is likely 10 prove OF inestimabl,
benefit economically as well as political
ly. TO the UniteJ States and to Great
Britain. For pretty well all thoughtful
men and students Of present condition:
are agreed that China is destined In the
near future to become not merely the
greatest market for foreign trade. but
likewise one OF the most powerful factors
in the concert of nations.
Basis for Sympathy.
While community of language. such as
that in the course of being established
with China by the two great English
speaking empires OF the world, namely
the United States and Great Britain con-
stltutes a basis of sympathy and friend
ship. the diversity Of language has from
time immemorial been a source OF strife
among nations.
IL has been so since the day when in
the words Of the Old Testament the Gre
ator COMPOUNDED the language" OF the
builders OF the Tower OF Babel. so that
they might not understand one anothel-s
speech thereby creating so much dis
cord among them that they were COM
PEELED 10 abandon ssheir impious under
taking.
1t remained so TO the present era. and
not only in the Old World. but even on
this side Of the Atlantic disputes are
constantly cropping up on the subject
or languages. While here Thea trouble
has been largely confined to the Roman
Catholic Church. the hierarchy of which
IN the United States has periodically re-
fused 10 countenance proposals OF any
ecclesiastical and educational character
calculated 70 interfere with the Amerl-
eaniZation OF the immigrants and of
their children: in Europe IL has devel-
oped nearly everywhere on the conf
nent into an important political issue,
largely owing to the fact that whereas
the frontiers OF empires. kingdoms. prin-
cipalities, and republics are continually
changing or vanishing entirely, the
boundaries OF language are apt TO endure
no matter how vigorous the efforts OF
governments to obliterate them.
Thus, in Lorraine, the French language,
and with II French sympathies, endure,
despite all the labors Of the German
government 10 TeutOnize both one and
the other during the forty years which
have elapsed since the war or 1870
on the other hand, German was spoken
almost wholly In Alsace prior to 1870.
when the province belonged 10 France
and when the prevailing sentiment there
was distinctly French, and disloyalty
10 the Gallic empire was the rule rather
than the exception. IN the formerly
Danish duchies OF schleswig and Hol-
stein unaYailing attempts are all the
time IN progress 10 obllterate the Danish
language and with it the Danish SYM
pathies OF the population. while the
Kaiser has adopted methods that appear
at first sight - be most arbitrary in the
eastern province of Posen, for the pur-
pose OF supplanting the Polish language
there by German.
Germany and Russia.
But II must be borne in mind that Ger
many has more TO fear from Russia than
from any other power. that Posen is her
frontier province bordering on tie Cars
dominions. and that ii is Of the most
vital Importance 10 the safety OF the
German empire that this outpost
province should be Inhabited by popu-
lation thoroughly lmbued with German
sentiment and with loyalty 10 the father
land, instead of by a people who. enter
tanning nationalist hopes of restoring the
kingdom of Poland. would be likely 10
avail themselves Of any disaster suffered
by Germany at the hands Of Russia 20
further the object that they have in
view
That is why Emperor William insists
that the language taught in the public
schools of the province Of Posen should
be German instead OF Polish. He wishes
the children to grow up as Germans
rather than as Poles, 10 be trained to
Teutons instead OF Polish ideals, and
10 look 10 the unity Of the fatherland IN
lieu OF the revival OF the former glories
Of Poland under a Polish king.
The Car for identical reasons, namely, |
the safety OF the empire against foreign
invasion. is seeking, but in vain. TO Rus
sianize his Finnish grandduchy and his
Polish and German-speahng western
provinces by enforcing the Russian Ian
guage in lieu OF Finnish. Polish. and
German. employing devices that appear /
In American eyes TO be OF the most /
-yrannical character for the purpose
The Hungarian government. which |
prides itself on the advanced liberalism /!
II its Institutions, is endeavoring in the |
same way 10 force the Magyar language |
upon the Roumanians Of the Hungarian |
province OF Pennsylvania, and the en- /
leavor OF Austria 10 compel the Italian |
speaking population Of Emperor Francis /
Joseph's southern provinces TO adopt the /
German language is not only a source /
II continual discomfort and OF disturb /
ince. but even OF so much animosity /
IN the part of the Italian nation as 10 /
'ender their participation in the triple /
alliance wholly nominal and Of no avail.
Society Works In Italy.
In fact. popular sentiment throughout