The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-04
Voice of the People
Defcn,ls Icsnernntn.

tBe study OF Esperanto was a waste
OF time I might not have asked space
FOR reply. He makes statements which
prove that he knows nothing about Es-
peran,o or the uses IL was Intended to
| serve ana Is serving. Having been n
| student of Esperanto for several years
given lectures upon IL In most OF the
southern States. been n delegate to the
sixth International Esperanto Congress
in Washington, u. c., and now having
correspondence with Espcrantists who
do not know English in Russia. Turkey
bohemia and other countries. I think
can speak with some authority, based
on absolute knowledge of tho ines
lnaDle use Esperanto Is now serving
as means OF international communi-
| cation.
TO allay any fears lest tho tnxpay-
eers money is being, wasted. will state
INA. no money Is being spent here at
| present by the school authorities as
tho ono class which is held in Room
10 OF the High School on Thursday
aSsht F 5ram G aSS tho to p G is hens
| ing their own books. But If Richmond
aims aims TO- set set the pace in educational
long he tho ior case une SCUM Sou ms VII not
principal of the RoXbury (Mass) Latin
Schooi, n man OF years OF experience
IN teaching Latin and the modern
languages, is an expert isperantist.
and he says that he would make com
puisory the study of Esperanto before
other language. He has found that
when Esperanto is learned first II gives
the very scientific foundation OF all
languages. which the study of any
one natural language fails to DO. and
that such pupils learn other languages
! with great saving of time and labor:
in TACT that the time consumed il cut
down considerably more than enough
To balance the time taken for the study
of Esperanto.
1t is pure assumption for DR.. Nc
Crary TO say that "tcaspoonful OF
French and German would do more
than oceans OF Esperanto" and that a
Russian Espcrantist would be unable
TO understand an Italian one. l can
assure him that six months study OF
Esperanto would give one more or q
scientific foundation for Il Knowledge
OF his own language than six years
OF German and French, and that the
| simplicity OF the language is such that
the Russian. German. Italian. French
ana English Esperantist. though
neither one knows anything OF the
others natural language. can converse
u uian star i, In Esperanto with
know because have tested It, and have
heard people of score or more of
different nationalities who had never
before met, converse together with
ease on every conceivable subject, and
some of them had only studied II three
months.
would become the universal Language ,,
is made without due consideration OF
two important facts: First English is
Our spelling is the most unscientiflc in
the world. II is cruelty to children
TO-, TO MAKE them hr learn NOV, our ntrocious spell,
philologist of Columbia University,
says that our spelling might be so
simplifed as TO save two years on q
child's education. Before we have the
nerve to suggest that English become
n universal language. let us back up
the simplified Spelling Board in its
TO something Ike rational basis, az
the Germans have very successfully
done in the last twenty years; although
fonetic rs the English Il am not
using the fonetic spelling for fear OF
the waste basketD Even II the spell
much moro difficult for foreigner
than either German. French. italian
or Spanish. Then, again. at the first
attempt TO make English universal
language you excite the antagonism
of other flrst-class world powers. Push
! it far enough and they would prohibit
the learning of English in their re-
spective spheres. as the country whose
language was made the universal
medium OF communication would have
commercial supremacy. At the Uni
versal Congress in Washington every
other important country except Ger
many, England and France sent official
because each one believes their Ian
guage destined to become the univer-
sal medium. But the national atti-
tude did not discourage the citizens OF
these countries, who were not so fool
ish and scores OF delegates were pres
| cnt from different societies and clubs.
For these and other reasons English
will never become the international
language. But the chief reason is that
Esperanto is rapidly becoming such.
Literally hundreds OF periodicals are
being universally circulated, cmanating
from every civilized and semiclvilized
country. and bringing these nations
closer together than ever before. Sew
eral large cities maintain bureaus OF
information. doing all their intcrna-
tional business In Esperanto, NOTABLY
has n splendid pamphlet in Esperanto.
which they are circulating throughout
the world. / venture to say that city
Is the best known In tho world on this
account among the hundreds of thou
sands Of lGsperantists In every country.
and ambitious of their several ma
lions. Here is n hint for the boosters
on Richmond's Board OF Trade. There
Is Universal Esperanto Association
together and furnishes to boards Of
trade and firms doing. an international
all countries. Nothing OF the sort could
be done I'm any natural language. An
expert Esperantist was sent to Europe
Trade. and his published report in the
"Amerka Esperantisto" fills several
pages of intensely interesting reading.
twenty different languages. renting
halls and theatres and giving lectures
sounding the virtues or Los Angeles
in Esperanto His audiences were gen
orally large, and so far as he could
determine very few were present who
could not understand Esperanto while
his experience was that he could not
have told a German, Italian. French
man, Russian or Englishman so far rs
his pronunciation of tho language was
concerned.
Another great use is in international
congresses. Secretary Morrison. OF the
a. Il. OF L.. said Mt the Washington con-
gress that at an international labor
congress held in Germany II took three
days to formulate n constitution, be-