AS WORLD POLICE LANGUAGE.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 October 1923, Page 4

AS WORLD POLICE LANGUAGE.

Bv an ox-Policeman). I .OX DON, Aug. 31. The heads of tiie police forces of the world are to assemble in conference today at Vienna. The main purpose of the gathering is to reach derisions which will enable the police work of ihe world to ho more effectively assured. At the outset of such an inquiry arises the question of a. common language. and Dr Dressier, of the Austrian police service, is proposing thnl Latin should ho adopted as an inieinational police language. Ho contends that ns Latin is Ihe best medium for such international systems as medicine and the Roman Church it is the most serviceable tongue to be employed in police administration as between the various countries. English. French, German, and Spanish are not approved as an international police medium because they are thought, to give rise to national feeling which would impede the work of "the police and cause difficulties where celerity is of the essence of the business to lie transacted. The absence of si common language is strongly felt among the police of different countries, and this endeavour to provide it as the result of a conferoncp betwoon representatives of the offices concerned is an interesting event.

Looked at. practically, the matter is exemplified in numerous cases which attract public attention and by many others which escape publicity. For instance, a gang of international criminals start on the run from London. They arc traced through France to .Switzerland, whence they decamp into Austria or into the smaller countries of the Balkans area. Ale anwhile the London police (the host iii the world) are following them by special agents or by means of the telegraph. At each stage in the limit the language difficulty crops up. Tn recent years much attention has

necessity. 1 have not a moment’s doubt that Englishmen and Frenchmen would have adopted the same measures had the movement been in the reverse direction. I need only recall the English destruction of the Roumanian oil wells.”

bisen given to foreign languages at Scotland Yard, and some of our police officers arc well acquainted with (for instance) French and German. Rut it is not always possible to use those men, who are in considerable demand for looking after our polyglot criminal population at home, and even when they are available it is too much to expect a police officer to be able to communicate with the numerous Foreign Offices over the Continent in order to follow and track down a big “run.” Hence it would be of immense practical advantage for the police offices to have a common medium of expression so that communication between them could be swiftly ensured. For a few minutes makes all the diflerence between success and failure. Jabcv. Ralfour would not have travelled to the -Argentine if a common language had been in use between the police offices of the countries through which lie passed. In fact, the need of an international police language can no longer be questioned by persons Jamiliar with tlie circumstances. A s to the choice of I .at in as the most serviceable medium there is much to be said. Latin is a part of the curriculum ot a good education in all lniiu-i-ave in the East), and our police officers, as in other countries, must inj eveasinglv lie obtained from the educated classes. Further, it ha- connection- with the piincipnl modern languages and can lie learned with ease hv systematic instruction in differing countries, A hybrid-iike Esperanto seems to lie the only wnrkng alternative. For crime is iniornatiollal and iis detection thi* duty of the world. (Daily Mail).