ESPERANTO’S CLAIMS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 213, 9 August 1937, Page 2

ESPERANTO’S CLAIMS.

INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE. ROTARY CLUB ADDRESS. Alembers of the Palmerston North Rotary Club attending the club's weekly luncheon, to-day, were addressed bv Air.C. J. Adcock, ALA., a member of.the teaching staff of the Hokowliitu School, on “Esperanto.” Air Adcock is the holder ot, a diploma m Esperanto, issued by the English Esperanto Association. The chair wo# occupied by the club’s president, Air A A. Langley. There were several factors making an international language necessary, even imperative, in the near luLure, said the speaker. At conferences at which representatives of. different nations attended there were difficulties with tiie translation of, the speeches ■into one or two, or more, other languages. A speaker was confronted with noise made by those who did not understand his language, and for those who did there was delay in waiting for the speech to be translated into other languages. One device had been used by which the different nationalities had been connected by telephone with their own interpreters. But could the great Pitt be visualised giving an address under those circumstances? The interpreters gave a running translation of the speech, and they could give no more than the salient features. There could not lie included the vigour of the address, nor the eloquence. Even though one could tunc into a foreign radio station, say a German one, one heard only what was carefully and specially prepared foi the Eng-lish-speaking nations. It would be far better if we were able to reach the real German mind, if we were able to understand the German’s own language. Travel, too, emphasised the need for understanding the speech of others, for although one could use a few words, sufficient for immediate personal needs, one could not understand tlie minds of the persons of foreign nations, for the visitor did not have the vehicle with which to do it.

Why not use the English language as the international language? asked the speaker. It was the first language yet produced. When one tried to have another language replaced by English difficulties arose. Peoples were wedded to their respective languages and would not change wholly, so that the situation then arose of the English language running side by side with another. It would he more satisfactory if English were taught throughout, hut.even then it could not be learned easily bv elder folk. If English were used an Englishman would have the advantage in any international language. ]f consideration was to be given to the adoption of a national language the claims of other. languages would be advanced; also, if English was to lib used everywhere in ihe world, what sort of languagejvoiild it become in-the hands, S'vy, of an Indian babu? If we gave English to Hie world we would' lose it ourselves. A suggestion had been made that we could take a simplified form of English, but the speaker thought ba.sic English was f.ar too difficult. Spelling and grammar both presented difficulties to a foreigner, and there were. . in addition, problems in regard to pronunciation, There was “tli” sound, known in few otter lniieiiHg°s. and our multip'icity of vowel sounds. The language was difficult and it was not really efficient. The basic English language had onlv 850 words, the vocabulary of an ordinary Standard I child. To use that would be clumsy and slow. English ha.d grown ljaturally, and to take any portion of it was to injure it. There was also a basic French, .and a basic German was being drawn up.

ESPERANTO DESCRIBED. Esperanto was fi-.sed on six European languages, added the speaker, ft was a neutral language. It ves the Western languages brought to a common denominator. Basic English simplified English by leaving out words. Esperanto did not do that. Esperanto grammar had 16 rules and not one had an exception. Affixes were employed in a wonderful w.ay to give the language flexibility. The language, besides being simple, was very efficient—it could express shades of meaning very accurately. Esperanto could translate a national language as none other could. Nearly every Esperanto word ended with a vowel, which made it a good language to listen to', and it was extending its vocabulary (though within lwunds) so that new words were available to keep abrea.st of the requirements of speech. Answering questions, the speaker said that the language was making progress and was accepted by a number of Governments and international organisations, while it was now being extensively used internationally.

A vote of thanks was accorded tho spanker on the motion of Mr A. jT. Phillipps, who said that an international language, universally accepted, would he a marvellous thing. The visitors welcomed were Messrs C. K. White. (Hasting l ), Herbert _M. Dlnver (London) and W. ,T. G. Wylie (Palmerston North). Mr H. Pierard sang a solo, “Gentlemen, the King.”