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.[1]
There has been no Committee Meeting of the London Club this month. Some of the Members and the President are away, and the matter at present to be decided upon is so important and far reaching that a general vote of the various Esperanto centres has, as far as possible, been taken by letter instead.
The question to be decided upon is this: Has the time now come for a general federation of all British Esperantists? So far the answer is wholly affirmative, and by the time this October issue appears the majority will have given their decision—yes or no. If by any chance anyone has neglected the circular sent for consideration, will the defaulter please look up that paper and return it with the needed comments at once.
The circular has been sent to every member of the London and Keighley Societies, and to the Committees of the various Groups for distribution amongst their own members.
A General Meeting is called for the first week in October, and notice of this will be sent by postcard. If the Federation becomes an accomplished fact, the next point will be the choice of a Committee to draw up the Constitution and decide upon the Officers.
Curiously, the name has been a difficulty; "English-speaking" is too wide a term, as we have no doubt that the United States will have its own centre soon. "British" is too narrow, for some will think it will leave out our Colonial or Celtic members. We Esperantists have coined one word, "Samideano," to express an idea of friendship, but the suitable all-embracing word for our contemplated union has not yet been devised, and from the nature of things a compromise will have to be accepted.
The next question is a question of funds, of course. Have we any self-denying Esperantists amongst us? Or are we each going to wait and see whether our neighbour will put hands in pocket first? The London Club has, as is natural, borne all the expense of this preliminary enquiry, but the Central Society will have to shape its doings by its income.
Classes in and around London.
After a summer of Congresses and such like, we are now settling down to our regular winter work.
Unfortunately we cannot have the Finsbury Circus rooms this year, and, at the time of going to Press, a definite arrangement had not been made. Will those of our Members who could go to 185, Oxford Street, please write to Miss A. Schafer, 8, Gloucester Crescent, Regent’s Park, N. W.
The Principals of the Gouin School kindly offer us the use of their Oxford Street rooms.
Miss Schafer’s lessons will be entirely in Esperanto (Conversation, Reading, etc.). A beginners’ class is also being arranged for, which Mr. Millidge will take.
On Tuesdays a class meets, by the courtesy of Messrs. Hatchard & Castarede, at 71, High Holborn. Applications should be sent to C. F. Hayes, Esq., 48, Swanage Road, Wandsworth, S. W. Here, also, beginners and those more advanced will find help, and a library is in formation.
Monday evenings, as usual, at The Club Café, 5, Bishopsgate Street Within, E. C. Tea at 6 o’clock. The Members afterwards adjourn to 100, Gracechurch Street, where the Remington Typewriter Co. have kindly placed a room at their disposal.
A class for German-speaking students, conducted in German, is held by Miss Schafer, on Thursday evenings, at the German Club, Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square. For particulars apply to Miss Schafer, as above.
Forest Gate.—The Members meet weekly on Thursday at 7.30 for conversation and social intercourse. Dr. Batteson, of 39, Woodgrange Road, kindly receives them at his house. The beginners’ class is from 8 to 9 o’clock on the same evening, A. Motteau, Esq., 157, Earlham Grove, being the lecturer.
Battersea.—A. T. Lee, Esq., of 2, Cupar Road, Battersea, writes that the meetings are at the Latchmere Baths on Tuesday evenings at 7.30.
Ilford.—This Group meets at the house of J. Kent, Esq., 42, Park Road, Ilford, on Friday evening at 7.30. He will gladly reply to all inquiries.
Brixton.—E. W. Eagle, Esq., of 22, Kellett Road, is again arranging for this Group.
Leytonstone.—Any in this neighbourhood interested in Esperanto are requested to write to Herbert Farnes, Esq., Rozel, Percy Road.
E. Dulwich.—G. W. Bullen, Esq., 17, Thorncombe Road, will again arrange to receive Esperantists, if a sufficient number desire it.
The Esperanto Society, Keighley.
Mr. Rhodes will open the Session with a paper on "Artificial Languages" at the Keighley Municipal Technical Institute, which, like Liverpool University, inserts an Esperanto syllabus in its prospectus. Mr. Rhodes himself is still occupied with the preparation of his dictionary, which from day to day needs enlarging, as more technical terms are added to our vocabulary.
General Group News.
(Addresses of Hon. Secretaries on outside cover.)
Our pages have had to be prepared so early this month that full news has not yet come to hand, and enquirers should write to the several secretaries.
From Brighton Miss Oxenford reports a very pleasant meeting on the 3rd September at the Remington School, 12, St. George’s Place. Saturday, at 8 o’clock, is the regular day and hour. Mr. Lambert, the President, has been exploring other artificial languages with the usual result—that no one of them can compare with Esperanto, however ingenious it may be.
G. H. Taylor, Esq., 9, Norman Road, Huddersfield, would be most grateful if any not too far off Esperantist could arrange to come and give a lecture there; and F. G. Rowe, Esq., 51, Portland Road, Nottingham, has a like desire.
Dr. Mayer, Central Hall, Manchester, announces lectures at the Gouin School of Languages, 2, Victoria Street.
Dr. Greenwood (Portsmouth) announces that the classes at his house have recommenced, and will continue on Tuesday evenings all through the winter. He and Mrs. Greenwood will be pleased to see or hear from enquirers.
The Plymouth classes meet at the Ruskin Institute, which has kindly placed a room at their disposal. The members of the Social Democratic Federation have become strongly interested, and the Tuesday evening meetings are well attended. The new Hon. Secretary is Arthur T. Grindley, Esq., 23, Gifford Place, Plymouth.
Mr. Haxton writes that great interest is felt in St. Andrews, and he hopes for a very encouraging session.
Newspapers.
La Chronique, a French journal, published in London, has had a series of most interesting papers, beginning with a description of the Dover Congress, which provoked a letter from Professor Hamonet. In this letter he takes up the old contention, that to propagate Esperanto is to commit a mortal sin, because if men ever come to use this language as a common international means of doing business it will infallibly follow that they will neglect the study and practice of their own languages, and, thus forgetting them, they very soon will fall into desuetude; thus, chefs d’œuvre of national languages, which have so powerfully aided in the progress of science and the spread of humanity, will be neglected and disused, that is to say, that if we use Esperanto as an auxiliary language, Shakespeare and Goethe, Victor Hugo, Schiller, Milton, and the rest will soon be mere names connected with a distant past.
To this M. Michaux, of Boulogne, replies in the issue of August 27th (further letters follow) by explaining that M. Hamonet knows only a part of the truth, that he does not realise that in France the Minister of Public Instruction and other such encourage our work, that many Esperanto translations are made by professors of high standing in the various Universities. He then suggests that, instead of theorising, Mr. Hamonet would do well to study practical effects, and tells him a little story by way of warning. I can only briefly sum up this story.
A hundred years ago an American sought an interview with a monarch. The American had made a model of the first steamboat, and he thought he had brought it to a person who would properly appreciate it. Fulton, the American in question, had managed to have the little boat placed on the lake in front of the Palace windows, and pointed it out to the great Chief. The great man answered, "Oars and the wind have been from all time the sole means for the propulsion of boats, and no other way is possible." "But, Sire," said the gentleman who had introduced him, "if you will just glance at the lake in front of you, you will see that the little model of the inventor does move by other means." The Monarch appeared for the moment astonished; he saw the marvellous boat, he heard the cries of the people and the applause of the helpers, then he became angry, and at last disdainful, shrugged his shoulders and said, "It is not because this little boat goes automatically without oars and against the wind on a little piece of water on my park, that the attempt of this stranger will conquer the world; such things are not born in an hour; every race has developed the art of navigation, but the means of propulsion have remained invariably the same; sails and the oar propelled a boat in pre-historic times, and will continue to be the only motor power. Tell this ambitious young man that my navy and commerce have not waited for his invention to be prosperous, and if men adopt his invention they would neglect the study and practice of navigation, and the victories of our heroes become useless."
Mr. Ellis, of Keighley, contributed a fine article on Esperanto, last August, to the Law Times. It was entitled "Esperanto for Lawyers," and point by point the suitability of our language for law purposes was clearly shown. One interesting argument was taken from a report in the Internacia Scienca Revuo upon a Russian boy who died of a very rare disease. Valuable scientific information was called forth at the inquest, and accurately given in the Revuo through the medium of Esperanto.
Mr. Ledger sends a most interesting summary of articles contributed to the Phonographic Monthly. This paper is printed in shorthand, and here is a list of articles:—
April, 1904.—J. French. Visit to Havre and practicability of Esperanto.
May.—T. Bailey. Outline of Esperanto, but doubts whether Pitman’s be suitable.
August.—G. Ledger. Shows that the phonetic principles upon which Esperanto is based make it admirably adaptable, and gives illustrations.
September.—J. Catton. Continues the subject, challenging Mr. Bailey’s assertion in May.
News from Abroad.
Count Gallois writes from Italy: "We are progressing very well indeed here. Many daily journals are publishing articles about our language, and the idea of it is rapidly gaining ground. On the 16th of August a Russian Esperantist, Sro Kolovrot-Cervinski, paid us a visit at Riolunato, and we had long and most interesting conversations with him, our members all understanding quite easily."
From Hamburg comes the news that a Group has been founded, Dr. Mybs, of Altona, being President; his address is Markstrasse 68, Altona, Elbe. Dr. Lindinger is Secretary.
The Esperantiste Mitteilungen says:—"We are happy to state that Germany, which for a long while has not taken Esperanto seriously, has now shown an earnest reviving interest. The Berlin group has sent out some 10,000 brochures and leaflets. Hanover has had a good meeting of shorthand writers. Hildesheim, Stuttgart, Königsberg, and Schleswig are planning new developments, as are various other towns."
Mr. Müller, the director of the Modern Language Institute in Iserlohn, very much approves of Esperanto.
Sinjoro C. Barttel, of Woehlerstrasse, 14, Frankfort-on-Main, writes that he has founded an Esperanto Society in that city, and will be delighted to hear from English Esperantists.
From Sinjoro Werner, St. Gall, Switzerland (the Vice-President), comes the announcement that the Society there, now numbers 42 members, and from Vienna we have the encouraging news that an Esperantist Society has been formed.
Canadian readers will learn with interest that a Group has been founded in Winnipeg. Members meet every Friday evening from 8 till 9, at the residence of Mr. W. A. Pierce, 264, Selkirk Avenue.
Dr. Zamenhof, some little time ago, contributed an article to the Independent, a weekly U. S. journal. Mr. Mudie prepared the English version, but forgot to ask that a copy should be sent to him. No one of us has seen the article, but letters in consequence of it have reached the London Club from nine or ten American cities, and it will be very interesting to follow out the result of this article. We hope to have a copy of it before long, and will certainly give our readers the benefit of it when it comes to hand.
From a visitor to the St. Louis Exhibition we hear that the Esperanto stall there is attracting a great deal of attention—the various national grammars, journals, etc., being prominently shown.
Items of Interest.
Chess players who want correspondence-play with foreigners may apply to Mr. Ellis, Keighley, who can furnish opponents. The chess terms and method of notation have been translated into Esperanto by Mr. Ellis, and published in the "Lingvo Internacia." Such of the contractions as are needful for correspondence-play Mr. Ellis will willingly make known to those about to play.
During the visit of the Boulogne Esperantists to London, M. Michaux and his party were conducted round the museum of the British South African Company, London Wall, and the interesting exhibits from Rhodesia were duly explained to them in Esperanto by the officials. The occasion was very interesting, and will doubtless be repeated, as the Company have many foreign shareholders.
Pan-Celtic Congress.
This Congress, which met at Carnarvon, and at which members from many countries were present, decided, after a very interesting discussion, "That a committee should be appointed to discuss the suitability of Esperanto as a means of communication." It had been prefaced by a somewhat amusing, though passionate, discussion. The Cornish Celts said that the Celtic tongue would answer the purpose. Their motion was agreed to, but when the question was asked which Celtic tongue, they at once said, "Why, the Cornish, of course," and an uproar was the result, all preferring their own dialect.
FOOTNOTE:
[1] The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed in these Club reports.