The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-05-08
ENGLISH TO Be
WORLDLAnGUACE
Subject Arouses Considerable
Discussion Among French
men of Learning.
French is SECOND CHOICE
Germans, Knowing Their Language
Was Inadequate as World Tongue,
Boosted Artificial Languages,
Such as Esperanto.
BY LLOYD ALLEN.

iSopOnuculJ
Paris.-It's beginning to look as
English will be the world languag,
of the future-with French as a clos'
second choice and with German run
ming poor third
This discussion Of "world Ian
| guage" which is occupying consider
able attention around Paris, reveals
among other things a strange chapter
OF German duplicity and trickery. II
now seems certain that the Germans,
knowing the German language was In
adequate as world tongue, tried their
best to get the world to think favora-
bly, of certain 'cooked-up'' languages
made to order things as it were, in or
der to prevent French or English from
being considered as the legitimate
world languages.
These artificial tongues, such as Es-
peranto, which was probably the best
known to them, in America at least,
were fairly numerous and each one
was given some sort Of an odd name.
They were called Esperanto, lido, Novo-
Latin and several other Queer-sound-
ing names. Naturally enough there were
a few people in nearly every country
that took up these tongues and learn
ed them. But at best the languages
were. and are fads, and are UNEQUAL
to the great task assigned them-the
task of becoming world tongue.
An International Language.
Paul Mieille, a French scholar col
lege professor who holds the chair of
English at the Lycee and who is a we'll
known promoter Of international edu-
cation, Is authority for the foregoing
remarks anent Esperanto and Ger
man. His brochure on the sub
ject Of world language has attracted
attention in France and
recently
While some political economists are
talking about the establishment Of an |
currency that will be
worth it's face value all over the world,
and while others are talking of kind
Of international government that will
prevent future wars, of international
control of the drug traffic, and several
more "internatlonalized' subjects, in
,luding international welfare, the
Of learning are discussing
he international language of the fu-
ure. And they admit, modestly
n0ugh, that English will probably be
he favorite as a world tongue, be-
ause English first of all is the best
nown and most widely spoken Ian
uage of business and mercantile tran
actions In the world today.
Acknowledging that English is bound
} be the favorite the French profess I
'rs claim their own language will nat :
rally take second place in preference :
German
Possibly the Germans some years
70 foresaw the coming popularity of !,
nglish and French and the consequent !
owing of the German language into i
ird place in the race, because it was :.
fore the war even that the "kultur !,
usade" for popularizing Esperanto ;,
d lido and the other artificial lam
ages started according to Mieille.
English and French. Z.
Briefly, it is Mieille's idea and the IL
inion of other noted French and n
glish scholars that the world needs II,
o languages for it's future welfare q,
English and French.
While there was lot of speculation q
ne years ago about finding a univer- y
tongue, such as Esperanto, we had
living languages in this world of vi
IS the two tongues that completely
ed all requirements. There was real
no need for inventing a new lam
lge.
here has been kind of official ~
ption of the idea that English and az
'nch shall be the world languages of ~
future in the fact that proceedings uu
ta e p "a tnesa nave peen oun, So
cedure has been cumbersome it is ~
). but it has been possible for prac- on
lily all of the delegates to under y
I'd everything that takes place in
way of speech making 'i''
he French clique of educators pro- %
ing the plan of making English
French the common international
,ues want the peace conference, or
league of nations, to perpetuate
procedure of the peace conference hli
make both tongues the official Ian
res for conducting the business of I'm
league of nations.
unofficial communications have
addressed to the various govern
IS that were lined up against Ger