288 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



ganizations, such as those of Esperantist physicians, scientists, pacifists, 

 and many others. Propagated steadily but unobtrusively in all quar- 

 ters of the world, the international language idea, represented by Es- 

 peranto, has loomed large and become a reality, even in this short space 

 of time since its presentation to the world. Doubtless one reason is 

 that the unbounded possibilities of the practical side of the language 

 have only as yet begun to develop, while the insistence upon the ideals 

 of " Esperantism " has been emphasized. This word Esperantism has 

 come to stand for a spirit of tolerance and conciliation which is dis- 

 tinctly worthy of note, and which materially aids in paving the way for 

 ultimate complete understanding and " the federation of the world." 



It is a significant fact that the two nations which may be said to 

 hold the linguistic balance of power, since their decision for the inter- 

 national language and their refusal to continue struggling with the 

 manifold tongues of Europe, except for cultural purposes, would have 

 great and well-nigh decisive weight, namely, the United States and 

 Japan, were the two countries to send official government representa- 

 tives to the last (fourth) International Esperanto Congress, held in 

 Dresden, August, 1908. 4 Eor these two nations whose more and more 

 intimate relations demand better mutual understanding and apprecia- 

 tion, as forcibly pointed out in the document previously mentioned, the 

 most immediate and practicable method of obtaining such general and 

 immediate intercourse lies ready at hand. The Esperanto movement, 

 strongest in Europe, has found favorable reception in Japan, whose 

 minister of foreign affairs is president of the Japanese Esperanto As- 

 sociation. In the United States the present propaganda association is 

 less than a year old, yet the number and quality of persons interested 

 in the idea and movement is such that European Esperantists expect to 

 be invited to the United States for the Sixth Annual International 

 Esperanto Congress, in 1910. It is to be hoped that this will come to 

 pass, and that some educational institution of note will open its doors 

 for the occasion, as did Cambridge University for the Congress in Eng- 

 land in 1907. In the meantime, it certainly behooves every one who 

 approves of the wide-spread international acquaintance, understanding 

 and conciliation, to examine this language which offers such great pos- 

 sibilities, since it has proved itself fully worthy of consideration in the 

 brief time that it has existed as a living language. It behooves every 

 one to examine it, and to aid its promulgation as best he may, by advo- 

 cating it, by urging its introduction into schools and publishing in it, 

 entire or in abstract, at least some of the writings which he now offers 

 to the reading public in English or some other national idiom only. 

 Eor Esperanto is solving the problem of an international language, 

 which is " An attempt to save the greatest amount of labor, and open 

 the widest fields of thought and action to the greatest number." 



*Cf. the report made by the TJ. S. delegate, Major P. F. Straub, of the 

 U. S. Medical Corps, published in the Army and Navy Register, January 16, 1909. 



