Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-06-09
Su' lect Arouses Considerable
Discussion Among French
men OF Learning.
French IS SEcONs CHOICE
Germans, Knowing Their Language
Was Inadequate as World Tongue,
Boosted Artificial Languages,
Such as Esperanto.
BY LLOYD ALLEN.
western Newspaper Union STAFF Cor
reSU0udeut)


English will he the world Language
of the future-with French as Il close
second choice and with German run
ming "A poor third.
This discussion Of world Ian
-uage' which is occupying consider
able attention around Paris. reveals
. among other things strange chapter
I of German duplicity and trickery II
Cow seems certain that the Germans.
knowing the German language was In
adequate as a world tongue tried their
/ best Ia get the world 10 think fav0rn-
+ bly, Of certain "c0oked-up" languages
made TO order things rs II were. in or
der 10 prevent French or English from
being considered as the legitimate
world languages
These artificial tongues, such az rs
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
Il few people In nenrly every country
that took MP these tongues and learn
ed them. But at best the languages
We're, and are fads, aud are unequal
to the great task assigned them--the
task Of becoming a world tongue,
An international Language.
Paul Mielle, a French scholar. a col
!ege professor who holds the chair OF
English AT the Lycee and wko Is we'll
known promoter of international edu-
cation, Is authority for the foregoing
remarks nnent 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 IN
international currency that will he
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 "lnternationalized subjects, In
Guiding international welfare. the
Frenchmen Of learning are discussing
the international language OF the flu
ture. And they admir-, modestly
enough. that English will probably be
the fayorite AS a world tongue, be
cause English first of all is the best
known and most widely spoken Ian
guage of business md mercantile tran
sGctlnns In the world today.
acknowledging that English is bound
70 be the favorlte the French profes-
sOrs claim their own language will nat
urally take second place In preference
to German.
Possibly the Germans some years
ago foresaw the coming popularity of
English and French and the consequent
showing of the German language into
before the war even that the "kultur
crusade" for popuarizing Esperanto
and lido and the other artificial Ian
guages started. according to Mieille
English and French.
Briefly, il is Mieile'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 lot of speculation
some years ago about finding a univer-
sal tongue, such AZ 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 inventing a new Ian
guage.
There has been a 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 w8y 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 /
guagcs 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 senator's and deputies have
gone on record as fayoring the scheme. |
DA1