Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-23
TOMATO, KISS AND EARRLNG7
GIVE GOTHAM EXCITEMENT
SPAT LIKELY ON
FARLEY LANGUAGE
BY ROBERT c. BENCHLEY
Oeased Wire Service to The Journal,

(COpNrlSuI, l3Zl.)
, NEW YORK, Aug. 2o-There
seems to be little hard feeling over
the choosing of an official language
for the disarmament conference. The
French journalists, all of whom speak
Frcrch fluently, think that nothing
not a little hurt at the rumor that
English is to be the sole method of
expression.
Why wouldn't it be rather a deli
cate mutual compliment, tending to
international amity, if the French
delegates were to speak English and
the English and American delegates
speak French? Of course, the
speeches and conferences would have
to be more or less elementary in form
and substance, dealing with nothing
more elaborate in vocabulary than
the names of some of the more popu-
lar household animals, near relations
and simple edibles, but at that 1t
might not be a bad thing for a dis
armament conference to have the talk
reduced to easily understandable
terms.
It would be necessary to have an
interpreter present in case of a tie,
and he might also act in the capacity
of praecepitor, giving encouragement
to the struggling diplomats and sug-
costing the use of past partic1ple
here or feminine ending there. Thus
the stenographic notes of a hot de-
bate during the conference session
might read as follows:
Senator Waterous-"Monsieu est
ce que vous er est ce que vous all
est ce que vous saveZ que mon oncle.
Monsieur. est ce que vous savez que
la chat"
Interpreter-"Le chat, senator, chat
is masculine. Now once again. If
you please"
Senator waterous-Monsier, est ce
que vous savez que lie chat de mon
oncle ma dit que"
terpreter-'What's this, what's
this, Senator? Your unc1e's cat has
told you something? Come, come,
speech? l think that we had better
hear from Monster Neuf now. L trust
that Monsieur Neuf has given the
matter little more preparation than
Senator Waterous seems to have
done. Monsieur Neuf, if you please"
M. Neuf - "Legouvernmentitalien
envoyaunmemoire."
Interpreter-"In English, if you
please, Monsieur, in English. Sena-
tor Waterous has been trying very
hard to be nice to you and speak in
your language. Now the least that
you can do is to say what you can in
his"
M. Neuf-'Eet ees wis gr-gr-gr-
gr-grand plaisier sat i-how you say
-'av come
Interpreter-"Have come, Monsieur,
I have come, you have come, he has
come we have come, you have
come, they have come. Will you
please write that out twenty times
for me tomorrow and hand it at the
beginning of the session? Now con-
tinue, if you please"
Senator Ruggles Gnterrupt1ng)--
Just moment, please. Woulu
like to ask the representative OF our
country a question, if you Will be SO
kind as to tell me if an English in
finitive preceded by used to- can be
translated by the descriptive past, as,
for instance, whenever they used to
see us in the park, they would call
us: 'toutes les fois qui ills nous
voyaient dams lie pare, lis nous ap-
pelainet'?
rect in some cases, Senator, except
in those in which the subjunctive was
preceded by a feminine noun, in when
case the pluperfect would be used"
Senator Ruggles-"I thank YOU"
NJ. Neqf (rehearSing o,,,g under l.on ms
breath)ve Monsieur eomg, y0u Iav come come
To-day in ordair sat we may go to
see geological gardens, sair to wit
ness many lions, tigers, bears and
elefons, and also perhaps eef Sc day
ISIS fine to ordair to bottle White
Rocks on Sc terass."
Interpreter-"Good, good, NJ Neuf.
Bon, bon. You are making rapid
strides. l should think that Sena-
tor Waterous would feel gust little
ashamed to have been left 60 far be-
hind. Am 1 not right, SENATOR"
Senator Waterous (sulking)-"l
had a ways and means committee
meeting all yesterday afternoon and
didn't have a minute to do my home
work"
Interpreter-"No excuses, please,
Senator, just show us the next time
that you are in earnest. For tomor-
row all the American representatives
will hand in topic sentences in
French using the verb 'desarmor' and
be prepared to do oral work using the
same word The gentleman from
France will do the same, in English,
with the verb to disarm' remember
it is L disarm, you disarm, he dis
arms and that I uisarm' comes
first. That will do for today. And
please be as quiet as possible in
passing through the corridors. as the
house is in session"