ESPERANTO: SECOND LANGUAGE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 347, 24 March 1910, Page 3

ESPERANTO: SECOND LANGUAGE

HELPS ALL AND HURTS NONE. ASSOCIATION'S PIGMENT IN NEW ZEALAND. Auckland, March 21. Colonel John Pollen, .M.1)., 1'.1.E.. president of the British Esperanto Association, who arrived in Auckland by tlw P. and 0. steamer sa'd, in conversation with a Star rqire-ein .vv: ''l hope to meet in New Zcahu-l many of my 'samideanot' {pooplo rf iho same idea). Esperanto is gaining 'Yiiiidly in 'China, Japan, Poland, I'r.nu', Kussia and the United States. The i'.M.C.A. is ail active agent in the spread of the language." '"'Why, vhen volapuk failel so dismally," the doctor was asked, '"do you expect esperanto to be finally accepted as a universal language?" "We don't expect it to be accepted as a universal language," lie explained. ''lt is merely put forward as a s.'eund language which is easily aeouirel bv speakers of all tongues. Volapuk failed because it possessed many arbitrary principles insisted upon by the inventor, and because when a convention of volapuks met the de'egates could not understand one another. With esperanto it is quite different. All I demand as president is ■ 'Mr fielcl. I do net ask for any favor at s-.'.\ In the interest? of the Commonwealth itself, a language that can place itself within easy touch with all the civilised world. 110 matter what lan. guages may be spoken, is worthy, T hold, of encouragement. The suthorities ought certainly to take steps to . sec esperanto is made a compulsory subject in State education. One of the greatest professors of language has distinctly stated that esperanto provides the best and easiest method of grasping foreign tongues. Esperanto is not intended to take the place of any national or natural language for ever. It is simply meant to be a second language for all nations, just as Hindustani is the second language throughout the Indian Empire, in addition to the national tongues spoken there. It wil' not check or interfere with the spread of th.' English language in any wav: it will largely help the study of English by foreigners. Briefly, esperanto helps alt and hurts none.