GOOD-BYE TO BABEL!

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8343, 1 February 1913, Page 10

GOOD-BYE TO BABEL!

On October 13th. 1912, the twelfth monthly dinner of the Paris Esperanto group took place in tho Hotel Moderne — a “familia festo,” made especially gay and bright on this occasion by the number of eminent Esperantists present from other lands, For tho first time four members of the Esperanto “Akademio" were present —one German, one Italian, two Frenchmen —and round the table sat representatives of Japan. China, Mexico, Esthonia, Hungary, England, etc., Esperanto providing a perfect means_ or intercourse to this extremely international company. M. Bourlet, the president of the group, amused the guests by telling of his adventures at the last Universal Mathematical Congress, at which, he said, practically the only two people who had been able really to understand one another were the pencil-seller and tho picture-postcard man. and they, thanks to their knowledge of Esperanto. M. Farman, the well-known Esperantist, who was present with his wife, promised to add to the Michelin Esperanto schools a competition prize of a special cup, together with a trip on an aeroplane. A very fluent speech in Esperanto was made by the Mexican, a meteorologist, who hocl as his neighbour at table a Japanese, also a meteorologist, who in turn much interested the company, recounting how, although in Japan he had thought Esperanto of not muc-h practical use, he liad nevertheless learnt it during his stay in Germany. He was now fully convinced of its great utißty, and promised (says "The British Esperantist") to help in making it better known to his countrymen on his return home.