POPULAR SCIENCE 



SCIENCE AND THE INTERNATIONAL 



LANGUAGE 



By E. B. R. PRIDEAUX, M.A., D.Sc, 



University College, Nottingham , 



AND 



H. C. PRIDEAUX, M.A., 

 Grammar School, Reading 



One of the most important problems of reconstruction will 

 be the selection of the " third language " or " lingua franca." 

 In a recent letter to Nature 1 on " International Latin," Dr. 

 Caspari has proved an able advocate of Latin ; whereas in a 

 review by the same journal of Gilbert H. Richardson's Declara- 

 tion concerning the need for Standardising an Auxiliary Inter- 

 national Language it is assumed that this urgent need can 

 only be met by Esperanto or Ido, or some similar language 

 drawn up for the purpose. This divergence of opinion is so 

 extreme that an impartial comparison of proposed inter- 

 national languages would seem desirable. The present time 

 seems opportune also because a correspondence initiated by 

 Burdon Sanderson has recently taken place {Times Lit. Suppl. 

 May 23 — July 15, 191 8) in which the claims of Latin as a 

 universal language for all purposes were strongly urged, but 

 did not meet with unanimous acceptance even among Latin 

 scholars. It seems probable, however, that the use of Latin 

 for scientific purposes only, stands a greater chance of being 

 accepted as a practical solution of what is perhaps a greater 

 need. In the first place the scientific public has, at the 

 lowest estimate, a standard of education higher than that of 

 the wider public for whom a universal language would be 

 provided. This education usually includes a grounding in 

 Latin sufficient for future acquirements. Then again, the need 

 for a medium of communication between scientists of different 

 nationalities is obvious ; no less so, unfortunately, the difficulties 

 in the way of making a suitable choice. It seems probable that 

 national rivalries, accentuated as between the belligerent 

 nations, will prevent the adoption of any living language by 



1 Nature, xcvii. 81 (19 18). 

 445 



