Esperanto: Hearings before the Committee on Education | Page 2

we have in the matter of

education.
We Americans are known the world over as being deficient in the
knowledge of languages. I think we might as well admit that. While
every other nation is teaching two or three languages in its schools we
have failed to do so, and yet the requirements of international trade and
commerce make it absolutely essential that our young men should be
taught at least one language or two languages besides their own. Now,
this being the case and Esperanto now being taken up by nearly all the
civilized countries as an auxiliary language, how easy it would be for
us, instead of compelling our children in the schools to learn Spanish,
French, and German, to simply take one lesson a week in Esperanto
and thereby enable this nation to correspond and communicate in a
common language with all the other nations of the world.
The CHAIRMAN. Your idea would be that the various nations would
understand Esperanto, and that whenever they would use that language
all would understand and comprehend it? Is that your idea?
Mr. BARTHOLDT. Yes. I want to say that there is a movement on foot
in nearly every civilized country to make Esperanto a part of the course
of study in the schools. If that were carried out, each country would
learn its own language and Esperanto, in England English and
Esperanto, and so on, so that the international language would really be
Esperanto. As one who has studied languages to some extent I can feel
the shortcomings and handicaps of a man who, for instance, having
studied French for some time, comes to Paris. The very moment you
open your mouth the people will notice that you are "a foreigner," no
matter how well you speak French, so that the other man, the native,
has a certain advantage over you. But if that Frenchman were obliged
to speak Esperanto with you then you would be on a common level and
neither would have an advantage over the other. I have read in several
of the Esperanto newspapers that, for instance, in England the great
manufacturing establishments are now printing their catalogues and
price lists in Esperanto, and that other publications are sent all over the
world printed in that language, in matters of trade and commerce. So
you can see it is coming. And since we have not overcrowded the

minds of our children with languages as yet, I think it would be
advisable and profitable for us to start with Esperanto.
I want to add that it is a very easy language. I have learned it in four
lessons. Of course I have not had the time to keep it up, and you must
keep in practice.
The CHAIRMAN. Does Esperanto partake more of the Spanish
language?
Mr. BARTHOLDT. No. For an English speaking person it is very easy
to learn, because it is composed of words taken from the English
language, some from the German language, and some from the Latin.
But the whole construction of the language is so remarkably simple,
that you will wonder why it is that a universal language of that kind has
not been introduced before for the use of civilized men.
That is all I wish to say, gentlemen, and I take pleasure in introducing
Prof. Christen, of New York, to you, whom I regard as one of the
greatest living experts in that language and a missionary for Esperanto.
STATEMENT OF PROF. A. CHRISTEN, 46 MANHATTAN
AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY.
Prof. CHRISTEN. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, this is quite a novel
experience to me. I do not even know how these hearings are carried on,
but I am entirely at your disposal and shall be very glad to answer
questions. If I had my own way I would like to speak for at least an
hour and a half or two hours, but I understand that you can not give me
so much time. Therefore, it will be rather difficult to put in all the
information I would like to lay before you. I should like to tell you
something about the absurd and ridiculous linguistic chaos to which the
world has been brought through those great agencies of progress which
have now practically abolished distance and brought the ends of the
earth nearer to each other than were the opposite frontiers of the
smallest kingdom 400 years ago; (1)[1] then about the advisability, nay,
the absolute necessity of an international language; how various
attempts have been made to meet this growing demand for a special

international language, not for home consumption but only for
intercourse with all other nations, and why this one is, in my opinion
and in that of many wiser men, bound to succeed, and that is because