ESPERANTO.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1294, 24 November 1911, Page 3

ESPERANTO.

THE GREAT ANTWERP CONGRESS. The Livernool "Courier" of September 15 states -.—Addressing a Liverpool croup of Esperantists last night, assembled under- the presidentship. 1T1C ! Lewis, F.8.E.A., at the 1.M.C.A., Mount Pleasant, Lieut.-Col. John Pollen, C.I.L. (brother o£ Dr. Pollen, of Wellington), claimed that Esperanto would prevent strikes - throughout thu civilised world. He declared that behind the language was the great force known as the spirit or "internal idea" of Espcrantism-nm-ing at brotherhood and justice amongst the peoples, high and low, rich and poor, capitalists and labourers. Br. Pollen condoled with the Liverpool Esperantists who' had been prevented by the strikes from attending the great Antwerp Confess of Esperantists last month,.and then proceeded to de>cribe that great e\eut. The investiture of Dr. Zamenliof with the Order of Isabella; the Catholic was a deeply interesting and unique ceremony, and it illustrated the amalgamating power of the new tongue. There in Antwerp, m the presence of the ouondani protesting nnd rebellious Burgomaster and Council, hi; Majestv the King of Spam bestowed the Catholic Order of Isabella on Zamenliof, the author of Esperanto, a RussianPolish Semite. All . the proceedings at Antwerp were conducted in Esperanto; a High Mass was celebrated, Protestant services held, and sermons preached in the international neutral' language. During the week the great theatre at Antwerp was plural at the disposal of the Congress aril several Esperanto plays were admirably acted by eminent Tlt-ni-ish artists and concerts given. On the liist day of the Congress the thief of the Antwerp' Police addressed the meeting iu fluent Esperanto, and pointed proudly to the fact that some seventy of his -men had learnt, the b.tigunge. A message was received from Uio 'Lord Mayor ol London, nnd another from the King of the Helgians. Ten ercat Governments sent official delegates to the Congress, and some lliirtv-three countries were represented. One thousand seven hundred anil thirty members attended, and but for the strikes the attendance would have been much .larger. Esperanto was steadily- spreading .in all parts of the world.