THE PROGRESS OF ESPERANTO IN GREAT BRITAIN AND ABROAD.
The contents of this section are supplied by the Hon. Sec. of the London Esperanto Club, who invites all Esperantists to send monthly reports of the spread of the International Language in their districts. Communications must reach 14, Norfolk Street, London, W.C., before the 8th of each month.[3]
A meeting of the Committee of the London Esperanto Club was held at 100, Gracechurch Street, on Monday, 15th August, Mr. O’Connor in the chair. The chief business of the meeting was the transfer of the hon. secretaryship of the Club from Mr. H. Bolingbroke Mudie to Miss Lawrence. Mr. Mudie, who has given all his leisure time for nearly two years to the work of spreading Esperanto, made a brief statement as to the position of the Club, expressing his regret that he was unable to devote the necessary time to the work. In future he would be compelled to devote his leisure to The Esperantist and to general propaganda. He handed over to the treasurer the books and the balance of money due to the Club, amounting to £41 odd, and submitted a balance sheet showing that the total outstanding indebtedness of the Club would not amount to much more than £10, which was more than covered by debts due to the Club. The Club, in addition, holds a valuable stock of books for sale.
Mr. W. T. Stead, in moving a resolution accepting with regret the resignation of Mr. Mudie, expressed the feeling of all present in declaring that such a resolution would be incomplete without a rider declaring how grateful they were for the invaluable services which Mr. Mudie had rendered them ever since the formation of the Club. But for his zeal, industry, and intelligence the Club would never have attained its present flourishing position, nor would the prospects of Esperanto be anything like so good in England as they fortunately were that day. Only those who had been closely associated with Mr. Mudie could appreciate the labour and time which he had devoted to the work. Mr. Mudie had not only been secretary, but he had practically been treasurer, and so well had he discharged his stewardship that as hon. treasurer he (Mr. Stead) for the first time in his life had the pleasure of receiving a balance instead of being called upon to defray a deficit. (Applause).
Miss Schafer seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously.
Mr. Mudie responded.
Esperanto in Belgium.
Messrs. Rhodes and Ellis, the President and Secretary of the Keighley Society, have just returned from a circular tour round the Esperantist cities in Belgium, visiting in turn Antwerp, Brussels, Louvain, Malines, Ghent, Bruges, Courtrai, and Liège. Notwithstanding the fact that their visit took place at a time when the activity of Esperantists is at its lowest ebb on account of the holiday season, there were abundant evidences of the progress of Esperanto in that most populous, busy, commercial country. Special meetings were arranged in their honour in Antwerp, Brussels, and Louvain. The last-named town, which has a population of about 45,000, has three sections of a Society that numbers more than 200, of whom the greater proportion can speak Esperanto with considerable facility. A means of continuing the interest of the elementary students after their first course is worth adopting more generally. The students are divided into small groups, and each group maintains its "ever-circulator," the contributions being commented upon by the individual members, and finally corrected by So Mathys, the energetic secretary of the society. The contributors retain their anonymity. At Brussels Mr. Law, of Battersea, was present, and this unexpected rencontre added a pleasant surprise. Here another proof of the utility of Esperanto was forthcoming, for So Caneff, a Bulgarian, told the meeting his experiences. He left Philipopolis to become a student of Political Economy at the Brussels University, knowing only two words of French, "moi, Bulgare," and was labelled like a parcel of goods with the address of his destination. Arriving at Brussels, So Blanjean taught him French by means of Esperanto, and since then he has attended his course as a student and duly passed his examination. So Jamin, the chief Editor of the Belga Sonorilo, was the life and soul of the two meetings which took place in the Belgian capital. His coadjutor, So Seynaeve, was, however, unable to be present on account of his having arranged to take part in the Dover-Calais celebration; but he was seen at Courtrai on his return, and was full of enthusiasm on account of the successful consummation of that notable reunion. It seems that the spread of Esperanto in Belgium, except in the case of a few sporadic instances, is due to a series of letters which appeared in Le Petit Bleu from the pen of Lieut. Lemaire. At Antwerp one of the members has placed on the market, as a means of propaganda, cigarettes bearing the name and the green star of Esperanto as their special badge. At Ghent the group is almost entirely composed of University students, and on account of the vacation no meeting could be arranged, but So Cogen detailed the progress of the movement in his city. The old-world beauties of Bruges were inspected under the guidance of Lieut. Lenken, and a short call was made on So Witteryck, the publisher of Belga Sonorilo and the writer of an amusing book, Kelkaj Esperantaj Floroj, a booklet which is a very good substitute for the Humoraĵoj, now out of print.
The Secretary of the Liège Group is a Russian, who has conversed in Esperanto with Dr. Zamenhof himself. Amongst other things he explained how Dr. Zamenhof himself pronounces Esperanto. The phoneticism of Esperanto, he says, is not over-rigid, but allows a certain margin of variation in the case of the vowels.
The letter "o" is pronounced as in the North of England, the excessive roundness of the South country pronunciation being avoided. The "a" is also an open vowel, not always so open as the "a" in father, but never so close as the "a" in the pronunciation which the London Board School children make use of in the word "cat." "Estas" is pronounced as an Englishman would pronounce it if he had never heard of Esperanto; not quite so pedantically as "aystahs."
A separate paragraph is necessary for the Ladies’ Section of the Louvain Group. They are full of enthusiasm, preparing papers and reports as required by their zealous secretary, and arranging musical programmes and recitations for the social gathering which follows the educational course with a devotion and willing obedience which is simply amazing. These are the mothers of the future Esperantists, and if their example could only be followed in England, "Esperanto, the second language for all," would soon be no longer a watchword, but an accomplished fact.
Altogether, the visit proved too short, encouraging and hopeful as it undoubtedly was. Most of the Esperantists were young, guided and controlled by the elders, and manifesting a force that sooner or later is bound to produce a telling effect.
The "Spectator" on Esperanto.
The extent to which Esperanto is making way in Great Britain is often but imperfectly realised even by Esperantists. But every month affords fresh evidence of the steady progress which Esperanto is making among the more thoughtful and influential classes. The Spectator of Aug. 13th contained a long article on "The Want of an International Language," the significance of which it would be difficult to over-estimate. For the Spectator, as Mr. H. W. Nevinson remarks in the current number of the North American Review, represents "the British spirit at the very best." "It is," he continues, "a newspaper which is the source of true culture to the thoughtful middle classes, and is by them justly regarded as moderate and reasonable in its judgment. It is the highest literary authority in the English newspaper world, and it has declared itself emphatically in favour of Esperanto."
Taking as its text the discussion of the subject of an International language at the meeting of the French Association for the advancement of Science at Grenoble, the Spectator examines and dismisses as impracticable the various national alternative languages such as Latin, English, French, and Spanish. It then pronounces judgment in favour of an artificial language, and Esperanto especially, in the following terms:—
"By far the most promising is Esperanto. It is remarkably easy to learn, owing to its irreducible minimum of grammar and its extreme simplicity of vocabulary. As far as we have examined it, we see no reason why this really simple and scientific language should not afford to the tourist and the merchant exactly what they need for communication with foreigners. If Esperanto proves equal to its claims, and is universally adopted as the second language to be taught in the schools of the world, a great stumbling block to free communication between alien races will be removed."
Group Reports.
There are not many such at this time of the year. Dover, the most active just now, is fully reported elsewhere. Very sad news comes from Newcastle. Professor Gurney, the President, lost his life whilst mountaineering at Arolla. His loss will be all the more deeply deplored because in Great Britain so few university men of high standing have hitherto evinced so quick a perception of the advantages of Esperanto as has been shown by the heads of the French universities and the professors. In Brighton the gatherings are most successful; until a suitable location has been found Mr. Lambert receives the Esperantists at 8 o’clock on Saturdays at 59, St. Aubyns, Hove, and their full intention is to increase their membership largely and speedily.
The Plymouth Circle meets at the Ruskin Institute. Last season the classes were held only once a fortnight; the arrangements for the autumn are not yet complete.
The Forest Gate Group meetings will re-open on September 15th at the house of the President, Dr. V. G. Batteson, 39, Woodgrange Road.
A Photographic-Esperantist Group has also been founded in London. Information can be received from the Secretary, Sro S. Maitland, 22, Maclise Road, West Kensington. The next meeting will be on September 8th.
FOOTNOTE:
[3] The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed in these Club reports.