The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-11-29
|. BY EDWARD B. CLARK.

or three semi-disconsolate strangers,
who were wondering how they hap.
pened to land in a desert. There were
seasons Of the year not long ago
when the hotels in this town shut off
from use whole floors Of their build
ings and discharged fully one-half the
members Of their staff OF employees.
3# Does anything Of thar kind happen
/ in Washington today? 1t does not,
v and the condition, while not in the re-
mote past, already Is forgotten. A
visitor to this town is lucky today II
he can find a place to lay his head,
I and 1uckier If he is not compelled to
scowl at the charge for his bed and
board, which he finds set down upon
the bill which is presented to him.
Washington hotel men, boarding
house women and apartment; house
owners are not called upon frequently
to speed the parting guest Everyone
+ hangs on to what he has In the way Of
n habitation, and counts himself for.
funate. If the roof does not leak and
Z there Is not an all-night jazz band do
ing business next door.
Peoples Of tho World There.
This is picturesque place today,
i md in a way. to American eyes, it is
. Il sort Of a grotesQue place. The East
4 and the West and the middle lands
/ have met here. One sees strange CIV
Allan garb and strange uniforms. Men
and women, however, seem to be pref
I ty near alike the world over, In
human nature way, for the visitors
4 from here, there and the other place are
1 pleasant-spoken folk, genial-faced and
4 as grateful for courtesies as cats for
rraam srfEat
Are the peoples of the world here7
Go for your answer into any one Of
ten hotels. You will hear French as
II the dominant language In one, Japan
csc In another, italian in another. Slo-
4 wax IN another, and other languages
VI In others The Washington monu-
4 1nent, albeit it is completed struc-
\ ture, might we'll stand today for the
Tower Of Babel.
Interpreters are here In consider
able numbers TIE trouble with some
4 Jew If the Interpreters is they do not
know how to "interp." Some Of them
d learned their English in the schools
y Of their native land, and as there is
vast difference between school
taught language, the difficulties OF
some Of the interpreters may be I'm.
derstood. They are willing gentlemen,
4 but there are frequent Americanisms
which are beyond the scope Of their
Y understandings and beyond the trick
Of their tongues.
y Chinese Know "Anerlean" Tongue.
The Chinese always have been noted
as good copiers. 1t is said that their
\ artisans can reproduce anything Oh
earth. when once it Is presented to
them for study. The old school-book
story or the English sailor who took
" his patched trousers to Chinese
d tailor and asked him to make him
L new pair, Is of course familiar. The
v Chinese tailor reproduced the trousers,
patches and ALL q,
So it is, perhaps with English. The
student Chinese seem to be able to
reproduce they English language more
Il perfectly than it lies within the pow
or of the European to do. The Chi.
ID hese who are here know American
4 Slang as they Know the language Of the
II American savant. They can talk
EAST side" or Harvard" at will.
They are wonderful lot.
I English and French are the Ian
\ Euages Of = the conference. 1t ia
! lucky that French was included, for
ono sor two of the great F'renchmen
VI whb are here do not know "Yes'' or
}..N No" in English. OF course, all the
proceedings Of the conference eventu.
ally will be translated into almost ev-
cry tongue on earth, but first they will
20 into English and then into French.
4 It As said that the diplomacy of this
Il conference viii not be that kind Of d.
plomacy which uses language to con-
ceal thoughts.
Popular Support Asked. !;
Mt is not tpresumption of knowl-
edge. to say that the American adj,
81 lninistration and the American congress
have "a heart desire for an. intelligent,
A. interested ana supporting Bwbsic sentl-