The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-10-12
In New York
Ry PAUL HARRISON

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 New York---You hear a lot or strange tongues spoken m 5apy lon on the Subway. Not even Paris or vienna is so completely multi lingual.
 variety of American is the one who feels like a foreigner in New York and the impression is likely to be heightened when he tries to un- derstand the patois of his own countrymen in Brooklyn or the Bronx. Of course, too, there are scores of small restaurants and stores where English just isn't at- tempted. And I mentioned few weeks ago that even on Fifth Ave- nue there's a swank shop with this condescending notice on its door: English Spoken Here"
 Tn the foreign quarters, older people cling tenaciously to the languages and ways of the old countries. They have their own tlteaters and newspapers, feasts and festivals. And their children, of course, while learning English at school, also must become huen. in the mother tongue of the par- ents.
 .--s-~-
 Barter In Language.
 For commerce and travel, study, personal satisfaction and a dozen other reasons, thousands of people in New York, foreigners and Am- orleans alike, are acquiring new languages. There are special schools and private tutors by the hundreds. Phonograph records provide exer- cises in pronunciation. And then there are the language clubs.
 It was a former school teacher named Rose Lichtenberg who first had the inspiration. More than two years ago she and some acquailt- ances began melting regularly to brush up on the{c French. But and Miss Lichtenberg thought 1t would be a good idea to find some Frenchwomen who wanted to learn English. Then they could trade in- structions.
 The plan worked so we'll that there was nothing to do but carry on. The All-Language Club was formed, and large studio rented near Broadway. Today there are something like 1:500 members, representing 26 nationalities. An American who wants to learn Ara. bic is introduced to an Arab who wants to learn English. The two then arrange mutually convenient meetings at the club, and proceed to exchange languages. For com- moner tongues regular classes now are conducted by paid instructors. But the students still pair off for private bi-lingual conversation.
 In Babel.
 dropped in the other afternoon and found a Chinese girl talking to Spaniard, two Americans talk ing to Q Finn and a Russian, and a matron who looked like my Aunt Hattie in spirited chatter with a rotund little Ffenchman. There was an Egyptian there, going around to get up a bridge game. His name is Jean Tsautouris and he's the clubs prize linguist, at ease in any company. Speaks OK fordian English, excellent French, Russian, German. Bulgarian, Scan- dinavian, Turkish and little Chi nese and Japanese. Oh, yes, and. some Arabic.
 There's also an Egyptian woman. Louise Fueleihan. She's taking up French, and teaches English in ex- change. The only student of Jap- anese just now is college pro- lessor. Practically all the foreign consuls and their wives in New York drop around to chat with their countrymen and to brush up on other languages. The youngest member is Norma Loeb, {, an Hun garian gypsy and violin prodigy. Several old men, of 70 or more, come in occasionally to play chess. Even Swap Recipes
 Begun only as language cen- ter. the club now is gaing in for a good deal of hands-across-t borders internationalism, The hol- idays of 26 countries are observed with ceremonies and exhibits. And these exhibits, promise you, are som ething to see, for the organ ization has some fine craftsmen and artists, and of course a lot of heirloom native costumes.
 Aid also Is provided in mix-ups with the immigration and natural ization authorities. For example. arrangements were made for the sale of some work of a young Turkish artist. so that his Ameri- can bride could shew that he'd be seif-supporting if admitted to this country. The club has an inter- national cookery exchange, too, in which famous foreign recipes are swapped back and forth. think the League of Nations could do worse than follow that step to- ward inter-racial understanding.