The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1919-06-05
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.
tWestern Newspaper Union stan Cor
respondentD

CWestern Newspaper Union stan Cor
respondentD
Paris.-It's beginning to look as II
English will be the world language
OF the future-with French as a close
second choice and with German run
ming a poor third.
This discussion OF world Ian
guage" which is occupying consider.
able attention around Paris. reveals
among other things strange chapter
or German dupllclty and trickery. II
now seems certain that the Germans
knowing the German language was In
adequate as a world tongue. tried their
best TO get the world to think favora.
bly, OF certain "cooked-up" languages
made TO order things ms Il 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 10 them. In America at least.
were fairly numerous and each one
was given some sort OF an odd name.
They were called Esperanto, Ido Novo-
Latin and several other queer sound.
Ing names. Naturally enough there were
4 few people In nearly every country
that took dp 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, a 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
considerable attention in France and
England recently.
While some political economists are
talking about the establishment OF an
international currency that will be
worth Its 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 'internationalized" subjects. in
Guiding International welfare. the
Frenchmen of learning are discussing
ture. And they admit, modestly
enough, that English will probably be
the favorlte as a world tongue, be-
cause English first of all is the best
known and most widely spoken Ian
guage of business and mercantile tran
sections In the world today.
Acknowledging that English is bound
10 he the favorite the French profess
sors claim their own language will nat
urally take second place In preference
10 German.
Possibly the Germans some years
ago foresaw the coming popularity of
English and French and the consequent
showing Of the German language into
third place In the race, because II was
before the war even that the "kultur
crusade" for popularizing Esperanto
and lido and the other artificial Ian
guages started. according 10 Mleille.
English and French.
Briefly. IL is Mieille's idea and the
opinion OF other noted French and
English scholars that the world needs
two languages for its future welfare
English and French.
While there was a lot OF speculation
some years ago about finding a univer-
sal tongue, such as Esperanto, we had
as living languages In this world OF
ours the two tongues that completely
filled all requirements. There was real
ly no need for inventlng a new Ian
guage.
There has been kind OF official
adoption OF the idea that English and
French shall be the world languages OF
the future In the fact that proceedings
at the peace conference have been con.
Quoted in these two languages. The
procedure has been cumbersome, II is
true, but II has been possible for prac-
tically all OF the delegates TO under
stand everything that takes place in
the way OF speech making.
The French clique OF educators pro-
noting the plan Of making English
and French the common international
tongues want the peace conference, or
the league OF nations. TO perpetuate
the procedure Of the peace conference
and make both tongues the official Ian
guages for conducting the business OF
the league OF nations.
Semiofiicial communications have
been addressed to the various govern
ments that were lined up against Ger
many, and to many officials OF all these
governments recommending the plan.
Numerous senators and deputies have
gone on record as fayoring the scheme.