Tuesday, 6 to 8.—71, High Holborn. Room kindly lent by Messrs. Hatchard and Castarede. Those desiring to join should write to the Hon. Secretary, Mr. C. F. Hayes, 48, Swanage Road, Wandsworth.
Tuesday, 8.30.—The Co-operative Brotherhood Trust have a meeting of "Clarionites." Hon. Secretary, Mr. Goode, 37, Newington Green Road.
Wednesday.—German Club, Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square. For particulars send stamped envelope to Miss A. Schafer, 8, Gloucester Crescent, Regent’s Park.
Thursday.—Cusack’s Institute, White Street, near Moorgate Street Station. Room kindly lent by the Principals. Beginners, 6.15. Advanced, 7.15.
Friday, 6.30.—Enterprise Club, Petersburgh House, Leadenhall Street. For lady clerks and secretaries. This class is the result of a lecture given to Members of the Club by Miss Schafer. The audience was much interested in the discussion as to the utility and facility of Esperanto. Much amusement was caused when the speaker recited a few sentences in Esperanto, the meanings of which were easily guessed by the ladies present.
The veteran artist, Felix Moscheles, desiring to practise speaking, would like to talk with a few Esperantists in his own beautiful home, 80, Elm Park Road, Chelsea. About twilight would be a good time.
The above classes are free, but, as mentioned last month, a series of lessons by a skilled Esperantist can be arranged for by applying to the Secretary of the School of Esperanto, 93, Chancery Lane, W.C.
Newspapers.
The articles and letters commenced the 27th August in La Chronique (29, Bessborough Street, London) have continued every week since. The arguments of M. Hamonet, our keen antagonist, may be summed up in the formula we know so well: "An artificial language is so unnatural"; and, "Esperanto, if it should be successful, will displace all the national tongues, and Shakespeare, Goethe, Victor Hugo, Tolstoy, become just ‘memories’; for boys (and men) are prone to idleness, and Esperanto is so easy that of course they will prefer it to their own tongue." Is this "approval" in disguise? The splendid articles in our favour by MM. Michaux, Bastien, Capé, Lefèvre, and a member of the French Academy seem waste of energy after the account of his previsions given by our adversary, M. Hamonet; for in their wildest dreams these gentlemen never supposed that an Englishman would prefer Esperanto to English.
The School World has at last spoken, and to some purpose. In the November number Mr. Mathews, of Rochester, after an exposition of the structure and uses of Esperanto, and a comparison with Volapuk, argues that for a large number of pupils in our schools the study of Latin, French, and German has little practical value. He would substitute Esperanto for the lower forms, because (1st) more time will be set free for other subjects; (2nd) the pupils will get a good training in the correct meaning of words, and will have such a copious stock of roots that they will be able to overtake students in other modern languages who have not had their advantages. He considers Esperanto more valuable than Latin as a means of training. An interesting article from the pen of Dr. Martyn Westcott, in the November number of Womanhood (5, Agar Street, Strand), is the first of a series which the Editress, Mrs. Ada Ballin, intends to carry on in future numbers. There will be a monthly lesson; also short story competitions, prizes, etc., etc.; and it is hoped that a Womanhood Club will be formed. I trust Mrs. Ballin will have great success, for, oddly enough, the majority of Esperantists are men; when once their wives, sisters, and daughters take up the matter, "We shall see what we shall see."