Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-04-28
ESPERANT|STS
FORM CLUB
Universal Language Enthu-
siasts Here Elect Judge
Laughlin President
LEARN GRAMMAR IN AN HOUR
Is Boast of DR.. Zamenhof, Its
lnventor---Many Santa Feans
Join Society.

! If, as you tarry in a drug store, to
eat your ice cream and you hear this
conversation, don't let it take your
breath away:
'Bonan tagon, sinjoro."
''Kiel vi sanas?
Tire bone sinjOro, mi dankas win.
Mi gojas, vim vidi en- bone sane"
No, they are not conspirators, de-
scribing what part of your anatomy is
best suited for plunging in a stiletto
and the word 'dankas" does not mean
donkey or burro, called the saint of
the desert" These conversationalists
are anything but blood thirsty, they
are promoters of the world language
that has been invented to promote
peace and good will among all men.
They are, in other words, "Esperan-
lists" and the tongue they spoke was
"Esperanto' the grammar of which
DR.. Zamenhof, the Polish inventor, has
declared can be learned in an hour
This is what they said:
Good day, sir.
! How do you do?
Very we'll sir, thank you.
Il rejoice to see you in good
health"
J If they are novices in the lingo one
OF them then says, Gu vi min kom-
prenas?" (do you understand me) and
out of politeness the other will of
course respond, "Jea, sinjoro, mi vim
Ikomprenas!" (Yes sir, I understand
you)
| How Society Was Formed.
Under the name of the 'Zamenhof
Esperanto Society of Santa Fe" an as
sociation was organized yesterday. AS
its name indicates, the associations
object is the study and spreading of
the international auxiliary language,
Esperanto, invented by the famous
Polish linguist, Dr. L. l.. Zamenhof.
The officers of this new society are
Judge N. B. Laughlin, president; DR..
}. A. Massie, vice-president, and the
Rev. c. F. Lucas, secretary and treas
urer It's membership already en-
braces some of the best known citi-
zens of Santa Fe. Speaking of the
formation Of an association for the
study of Esperanto, an enthusiast said
today:
Esperanto, on account of the ex-
traordinary simplicity of its construc.
ton and the skilful choice of its vo.
cabulary, has proved itself an effica-
cious means for communication
among those whose native tongues are
the most diverse, and the series of five
annual congresses which have thus
far been held in European capitals has
marked a steady and rapid rise in pop
ularity. The list of societies affiliated
with the Universal Esperanto Associa-
ton, with headquarters at Geneva.
Switzerland, shows an increase in the
past year of nearly fifty per cent. The
sixth annual Congress is to meet next
August in Washington, D. c., and the
Santa Fe society will be represented.
iiC otuuy vi LopSl dllO is SO easy,
that teachers are not required but pri-
Vate reading along the lines which the
society will suggest is capable of pro-
ducing fair degree of proficiency
with minimum expenditure of time,
thus removing the objection commonly
urged, that busy person cannot find
time for its pursuit. In fact the de-
mand upon both time and money is of
the slightest, while the capabilities of
the language for interesting and USE
ful application increase day by day as
Its spread becomes wider All who are
interested or curious in regard to the
study of Esperanto are invited to con-
suit the secretary, who will give in
formation concerning membership, lit
erature and SO forth"
What Zamenhof Says.
Doctor Zamenhof has this to say of
his home made language:
I need not here point out the con-
siderable Importance to humanity of
an international language-a language
accepted by everyone
and the common property of the whole
world. How much time and labor we
spend in learning foreign tongues, and
yet when travelling in foreign countries
we are as a rule, unable to converse
with other human beings in their own
language. How much time, labor and
money are wasted in translating the
literary productions of one nation into
the language of another, and yet if we
rely on translations alone we can be-
come acquainted with but title of
foreign literature.
Were there but an international
language, all translations would be
made into it alone, as into tongue
lnt1lliOih1a 10