Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-10-27
ESPERANTO CONGRESS
Great international Gathering At
Antwerp Discusses Business At
tends Concerts And Enjoy
Social FUNCTIONS.
1880 DELEGATES PRESENT.
Greetings From Crowned Heads And
Other Dignitaries OF The Nations.

-
{ count Of the interesting congress baI
: st Antwerp in August. This was N
seventh such international gatherir,
and marked 8 steady and health
growth Of the movement. The ar,i
: Gle says:
7 To behold Esperanto flags fvir,
everywhere from hotels. stores an
other buildings, and 70 be confrontar
oy g huge green and white sign BON
venom al Esperzntistoj." lust opuo
site the handsome railway station
TINS was indeed a sight 10 make the
heart beat faster, Furthermore i,
seemed that all the musical orgariza.
tlons in Belgium had congregated ir
this one city, for on all sides banE
music was sounding joyously so that
! the two-minute walk 70 the Grand
Hotel Weber seemed like q triumphsI
I procession.
4 On Saturday afternoon the officials
7 OF the city government Of Antwern
formally received Dr.. Zamenhof. the
konstants Komitato. . and the Or
T gaaiZing Committee OF the Seventh
Congress in the City Hall. As mat
( ter OF detail, the coachmen Of the
open carriages en- route TO this inter
esting function wore green cockades
while q green star decorated the bride
OF each horse. The mayor OF Antwerp.
standing with the various nupicipal
officials, welcomed DR.. Zamenhof ana
the accompanying Esperantist officers
while cries OF ''Vivu, Vivup' echoed
from the corridors OF the CITY Hall
and the public square in front
thronged with Esperantists.
Sunday morning there were Church
services. At s o'clock a Catholic
N ass was held in the Cathedral yvifb
Father Austin Richardson. Dresiaent
officiating. At O'Clock a Protest ant
service was held. The sermon was
preached in Esperanto BY Rev. Griet-
huysen. OF Antwerp.
OF three Esperanto plsylets the
article thus speaks OF the Flemish
comedy:
Sparkling with sudden humor from
beginning to end. this comedy was
presented by Esperantists OF six diff
ferent natioaalitfes who had learned
their roles before coming 10 the Con
gress, and had had practically no time
for rehearsal upon arrivingl In any
other language but Esperanto, this
would have been an utterly impossible
performance. But in Es oeranto il
was an unqualified success.
Early il the afternoon the formal
opening meeting Of the Congress took
place. When the Congress members
had filed the seats OF the floor and in
the galleries of the great ceremonial
/ hail in the Geological Garden, DR..
Zsnenhof and the COngre : officers
entered. walking TO the platform be-
tween parallel rows Of saluting Es-
perantist police, while the assembled
throng shouted and waved hats and
handkerchiefs, in a prolonged and en-
thusia site greeting. which lasted until
| after all this procession had taken
their seats.
/ The president OF the Congress forth
with presented NJ. Dev5s, ,the mayor Of
I Antwerp, who gave an address Of
Z cordial welcome TO the 1880 Esperar-
Z fists who, for the week, were guests
/ OF the City Of Antwerp. Then DR..
! Zamenhof arose, greeted again with
prolonged and enthu siastic ovation,
and proposed the sending Of a tele-
gram OF thanks 70 Albert, King OF
Belgium, for the cordial acceptance
/ Of the invitation TO assume the alta
I protekts3o" OF the Congress.
This proposal received instant &C
clamation and unanimous consent.
Later in the week the King responded
70 this telegra n with a cordial greet
I ing, thanks and appreciation. Subse-
Queutly, expressions of thanks were
proposed TO the mayor Of Antwerp, the
honorary officers and members Of the
Congress, among whom were many
Belgians OF high rank, and lastly, tc
the Belgian Esperantists who had ua.
tiently made the long preparations
for the Congress
The overwhelming majority Of gov.
ernmental and other delegates SPOKE
in Esperanto, and these brief speeches,
followed by the many speeches o.
greeting By Esperantist represents
tives, ali .fuently delivered, easily IN.
derstoOd and immediately appre
eisted. were Inspiring testimony Z
the ineontrovertible fact that Esper
anto, though spoken BY many diverst
nationslities, remains g clearcut arr
Interchangeable language, absolutely
unmarried by any differences Of accent
or pronunciation
This most important truth Of n,
stability and unity OF Esperanto il
well known among Esperantists, bu
nevertheless new proof is constantly
thus at hand TO convince the sceptit
OF the fact st first incredible thai
the Engishman, Australian. SEQ
and American. for instance, can IN
derstand each other better throuri
Esperanto than II each uses his ow1
variety Of development from II
original mothertongue: that the Aus
trian, Swiss and PruSsian can Civ
analogous testimony concerning II
German language. and so on in 70
] uero1s examples