OCTOBEB 22, 1900] 



SCIENCE 



561 



need of such international gatherings — an in- 

 ternational language, in which the proceedings 

 may be held, in order that all the participants 

 may understand fully and immediately what 

 is being done. 



It is stated in the report that distinguished 

 men of chemical science were present from 

 more than twenty nations, yet the business of 

 the congress was transacted in four languages 

 only, English, French, German and Italian. 

 After the name of each speaker is given the 

 language used — confined, of course, to the four 

 named. It is a fair question to ask if those 

 present from Russia, Spain, Sweden, China, 

 Japan and other lands, understood all or any 

 of the speeches; or if, indeed, even some of 

 those speaking in one of the languages named, 

 understood the remarks of their colleagues 

 using some of the others. How many of the 

 delegates were debarred from participating in 

 the debates because they did not know, or were 

 unskilled in the use of the official languages, 

 and how many of those present were compelled 

 to await the publication of the proceedings 

 before being able to digest them and were 

 compelled, even then, to rely upon the work 

 of a translator? How much valuable time 

 was lost in interpreting the speeches or in 

 repetition of the same remarks in four dif- 

 ferent tongues? 



The Societa Fotografica Italiana presented 

 to the Section of Photochemistry an album of 

 photogravures, showing the effects of the great 

 Messina earthquake, and it was necessary to 

 print the text in four languages, and doubtless 

 this course was also followed in publishing the 

 Proceedings of the congress. Does this not 

 seem to entail much labor and expense which 

 science should be able to find means to avoid? 



Dr. Wiley, in urging upon the congress the 

 acceptance of the invitation of the United 

 States government to hold the next meeting 

 in America, voiced his appreciation of the 

 language difficulty when enlarging upon the 

 number of foreign-born citizens of the United 

 States and in assuring the delegates that they 

 could count upon being welcomed in their own 

 tongue ; though, apparently, he did not venture 

 to promise them that they would be able to 



understand the proceedings of the congress 

 itself. 



These and other items appearing in Pro- 

 fessor Baskerville's report show plainly how 

 the diversity of language still stands like a 

 menacing angel with drawn sword at the por- 

 tal of all international gatherings, threatening 

 with misunderstanding and difficulty all who 

 seek to enter. How long will civilized human- 

 ity, and particularly scientific humanity, upon 

 which depends the progress of the race, submit 

 to such humiliating conditions? 



The question presses harder to-day than ever 

 before, as modern progress makes international 

 communication more frequent and necessary. 

 Surely science, which has leveled so many 

 obstacles before advancing mankind, must soon 

 give its serious attention to this one, which 

 looms so large, and more especially so, because 

 the solution of the difficulty is so obvious. 

 This solution is the world-wide adoption of an 

 international language — a second language 

 which all will learn in addition to their nat- 

 ural tongue, and by means of which they can 

 communicate with all civilized men. What 

 language to select for the purpose is, however, 

 not so obvious and here the difficulties arise. 

 It is not necessary to enter here into a 

 discussion of these; Dr. Kellerman, in an 

 illuminating article in the Popular Science 

 Monthly for September, has taken up the 

 whole matter most thoroughly and it would 

 appear that the conclusion reached in that 

 article, viz., the official adoption of the artifi- 

 cial international auxiliary language Esper- 

 anto, a living tongue already largely used for 

 the purposes in view, is the logical one. This 

 language seems to be making good its claim 

 of easy acquisition, combined with power of 

 euphonious and clear expression, and being 

 widely disseminated already, seems to await 

 only general official recognition by govern- 

 ments and prominent international associa- 

 tions to prove the actual solution of the 

 troublesome question. 



That this is believed by many scientific 

 bodies is shown by the fact that they have 

 already taken the step indicated and made 

 Esperanto their official language. The Pan- 



