Foreign News.
First in importance are the preparations for the Congress in Boulogne next year. Dr. Zamenhof, having consented to preside, has also intimated his wish that this should be a Congress in which every Group in the world should be represented, but the Boulogne Group, unaided, could not organise so stupendous an affair; even the comparatively small gathering at Dover last summer cost more than that Group could rightly afford; M. Michaux therefore calls for aid from all quarters. The Société Française p.p. Esperanto has, as usual, been the first to answer. It announces a contribution of 200 francs, and more, if possible. What will Great Britain do? Many have suggested that Dr. Zamenhof should "come out of his shell." Now he means, if possible, to do so. We must see that he has a good welcome. Will Esperantists send suggestions to the Hon. Secretary of The British Esperanto Association as to how much we should contribute?
There is to be a great Esperanto Exhibition in Algiers in March, and Captain Capé, 17, Boulevard, Gambetta, earnestly hopes that literature of all kinds may be lent him. Circulars in Esperanto, articles of commerce with Esperanto labels, books, journals, post cards, propaganda leaflets, etc., etc.
At the Grenoble Congress M. Bolack occupied some hours in describing the invention, the Langue Bleue, to which he has devoted so much time and money, but he at length confessed that he could not hold a conversation in it for even five consecutive minutes.
It is stated in this month’s Esperantiste that, owing to a fire in his house, Mr. Geoghegan, the first English Esperantist (it is supposed), has lost the whole of his valuable collection of letters, post cards, and books; this means that he has lost the addresses of all his correspondents as well. Any such who read these lines are asked to send him their news to East Sound, Washington County, U.S.A. Truly every Esperantist will condole with him upon this loss.
On the 19th October an amusing critique appeared in the Glasgow Evening Times. Under the heading of "Shreds and Patches" its editor attacked Esperanto in diatribe against Mr. W. T. Stead. This naturally provoked the retort on the 20th that Esperanto was not a new untried experiment which Mr. Stead was trying to boom, and that there was no earthly reason for connecting the man and the language, except that Mr. Stead is enthusiastic and open-minded, and Esperanto as a language is approved of by such. Mr. Wallace, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Rhodes and others joined in the fray, and on November 2nd an amusing skit headed "Shredoji kaj Patchegaj" appeared, in which the writer started by saying "Mi esperas ke Mi povos uzi la Internacia Lingo Esperanto por tui artikolon," but he found it better to stick to English. Of the propriety of this there could be no question, seeing the writer knew only twelve words of Esperanto. He then goes on to classify the thirty-seven letters he had received, announcing that, evidently, "any craft that appears within extreme range of Esperanto must be a hostile torpedo boat." The correspondence apparently dwindled after this date; but one singular fact with regard to it appears to be that Glasgow people themselves were not sufficiently interested to enlarge the Glasgow group to any conceivable extent, the exact opposite to Aberdeen, Bedford, etc.
The November number of the Note-Book (every issue gives Esperanto matter) contains a very interesting report of the General Meeting of the British Esperanto Association, together with the usual interesting lesson, and an account of an amusing game by Mr. Hugon.
The foreign Esperanto journals have been especially interesting of late. Many of them have contained articles on "Holidays in Esperantoland." Most of the gazettes are also improving in appearance, which must also be taken as a good sign of progress and increasing circulation.
Several New Zealand papers have been discussing Esperanto of late. The Voice, a widely-read and attractive monthly, led the way, and Otago and Southland papers have followed on, thanks to the energy of Mr. Field.