ESPERANTO

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 June 1939, Page 4

ESPERANTO

MASTERTON CLUB MEETING. At’ the weekly meeting of the Masterton Esperanto Club held last evening in the clubroom, Municipal Buildings, Mr Dewar, D.8.E.A., presided over a very satisfactory attendance. The' club considered and decided to support a request received from the National Peace Council of New Zealand (Christchurch) that the Prime Minister be urged, by petition, to take the necessary preliminary steps to secure the holding of a world conference for peace, understanding and economic co-operation. It was announced that the 10th New Zealand Esperanto congress will take place at Wellington from December 30 to January 2, inclusive; and that the gathering will be the largest of its kind yet held in the Dominion. Reviewing, the contents of the Esperanto Year Book for 1939, the secretary, Mr W. H. King, mentioned that 91 Esperanto newspapers and periodicals, with a frequency of issue of from twice-weekly io quarterly, are now being published, the oldest hav-. ing been established in 1904. Esperanto is at present being taught in educational institutions of varying grades in 20 countries; at least 62 radio-stations in 22 countries broadcast iteins in Esperanto last year; and the delegate service of the International Esperanto League functioned with the co-operation of 1,506 delegates in not less than 61 countries. Conversational practice, continued with the aid of the blackboard and a large publicity poster occupied almost an hour, during which period club members displayed a good and increasing command of the language and acquired numerous new words. Mr E. J. Esler contributed the final item, a reading of the Esperanto announcement of the Miramar (N.Z.) Esperanto Club in the international monthly journal "Esperanto Internacia.” A very successful meeting concluded with the singing of "Nun Venas la Hor’ ” (Now is the Hour).