tRAty/- Vol ■t in ;«w ».^ o INFORMATION CENTER ESPERANTO LEAGUE for NO^TTSMERIC^t^ NEWSLETTER October, 1968 .;■;.........;..........,,y: ^^^^^^ iAwr CONGRESSMEN DISPLAY INTEREST IN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE Two recent issues of the Congressional Record have contained fairly long articles on Esperanto under "Extension of Remarks," signalizing interest in an international language on the part of Congressmen Seymour Halpern (Rep., N.Y.) and George M. Rhodes (Dem., Pa.)- Introducing the reproduction in full of an editorial from the British Esperanto Teacher on the adoption by Boy Scouts of Esperanto as a "second language" for an international jamboree in Essex, Representative Halpern said (August 2 issue): "One of the great tragedies of today is the utter breakdown in human com- munication. This tragedy is intensified by the swiftness with which the electronic communication media transmit messages and is further compounded by the need for immediate understanding which must accompany this almost in- stantaneous interchange of ideas. ... I therefore submit the following edit- orial, which I have received from the Esperanto League of North America, in the belief that the information it contains is of positive value to society." Representative Rhodes, in inserting ,an article by Doris Vallon from the California Teachers Association Journal entitled "Teaching the Universal Lan- guage" into the September 17 Congressional Record, said: "One of the difficulties in building a world of cooperation and peace is the language barrier. If people could freely communicate with each other through a common language, many of the difficulties that divide the people of the world would be solved. Efforts to promote Esperanto as a common language have been the goal of the Universal Esperanto Association which is represented in 85 countries. Forty national Esperanto organizations and 20 professional international Esperanto associations are in existence. . . . More than 100 magazines are published in Esperanto." Reprints of both the Boy Scout and the Vallon articles in their original form are available from the Esperanto Information Center, 156 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10010. -o- A by-product of the annual congress of the Universala Esperanto-Asocio (which this year brought together 1800 people from 40 countries at Madrid in August) is the opportunity for specialized groups to meet and not only talk about Esperanto but talk _in Esperanto about their particular interests. Thus there are Esperanto associations of lawyers, doctors, scientists, architects, geographers, teachers, social workers, Catholics, Protestants (and this year an ecumenical session), world peace enthusiasts, boy scouts, railway workers, stamp collectors, photo-film-and-tape amateurs, and automobile club members. The International Congress of Blind Esperantists held its 36th annual meeting at the same time, with 70 attending from eight countries. \ -2- NL 10/68 NEW EFFORTS IN WORLD FRIENDSHIP - A Message from President Helmuth All during the year 1968, emphasis has been given to the 20th anniver- sary of the Declaration of Human Rights with particular emphasis on its men- tion of lingual discrimination. Esperantists should observe in their own clubs and meetings United Nations Day, October 24. Despite its critics, the United Nations remains the last great hope of man for world peace. There- fore in cooperation with other groups or on their own, Esperantists should stress the aims of the U.N. charter as necessary for human survival. Inspired by U.E.A. vice president Erik Carlen, there has been set up the World Friendship week for February 15-22, 1969. All U.E.A. members, national affiliates and specialist organizations are being officially asked to make special efforts to enrich mutual appreciation on an international scale. This is made infinitely easier because Esperanto avoids the barriers of lingual diversity. Our Swedish colleague Carlen has officially asked me to take charge of this effort in the United States, and has provided a lengthy list of sug- gested activities, ranging from personal greeting cards and gifts to special rallies and exchange of visits. Clubs and individuals interested and willing to help are urged to contact me at 801 La Jolla Rancho Rd., La Jolla, Calif. 92037. — Francis E. Helmuth -o- Regional Conference at Meadville The Eastern Region Esperanto Conference at Meadville, Pa., on October 11-12 drew 30 people from six states. Reports on the U.E.A. and E.L.N..A. congress- es at Madrid, Spain and Covina, Calif., were given at the get-acquainted ses- sion on Friday evening. The Saturday morning session dealt with recruiting and follow-up activities; participants from various areas discussed the most common obstacles they encountered. Duncan Charters of the University of Indiana faculty discussed "Facts and Myths about Esperanto" at a meeting to which the public was invited. "We must work at all levels," he said, "because governments will not recog- nize Esperanto until it has public support and it will not gain public sup- port unless it has demonstrated its utility in many fields of practical acti- vity. " Luncheon discussion centered on'the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights with emphasis on the continuing lingual discrimination against minorities. "Prepare for Portland in 1972" was the keynote of the final session. Communities represented included: Ohio - Cleveland, Columbus, Univer- sity Heights, Warren, Worthington, Youngstown and Zanesville; Illinois - Auro- ra; Indiana - Bloomington; Massachusetts - Pittsfield; New York - Bowmansville, Ithaca, Long Island City, Staten Island; Pennsylvania - Greensburg, Meadville, Pittsburgh. -o- Railwaymen's organizations date back to the early days of the Esperanto movement. Now their history, including the war-time dissolutions and come- backs, and their present imposing numbers and activities, is available in a 50-cent pamphlet, "Historio de Internacia Fervojista Esperanto-Federacio." Order from Esperanto Information Center, 156 5th Ave., New York, N.Y. 10010. -3- NL 10/68 WHAT'S IN A WORD? - QUITE A LOT Theodore M. Bernstein, assistant managing editor of the New York Times, reviewed "What's in a Word" by Dr. Mario Pei in the Saturday Review of August 24. Pointing out that Dr. Pei makes "a specific though not fanatical pitch for Esperanto,"Mr. Bernstein went on, "there is much to be said for this project and Mario Pei says it. Maybe Esperanto meritas vian seriozan konsideron; who knows?" Subsequent comment included a letter (Sept. 21) by a reader in Lansing, Mich.: " . . . One does not have to be a fanatic to see the need for using a tool such as Esperanto or any international means for world understanding. Pei makes sense to the nth degree. . . . Why do not all the great pundits of the world get together and either prove or disprove the claims of Esperanto? This should be a simple job to do. With one-sixth of the world's population illiterate, and nearly 3,000 languages to deal with, it would mean a great feather in all of our caps to have one international language for everybody to use with their native tongue. English is not the answer. We owe Mario Pei a great debt." -o- NEW LANGUAGE JOURNAL DUE IN DECEMBER Publication date for the first number of La Monda Lingvo-Problemo is set for December 10. This journal will contain pertinent articles in the chosen language of the author with a resume' in Esperanto. Published under the auspices of the Center for Research and Documentation (C.E.D ), it will be edited by Victor Sadler. Yearly subscription price is $7.00 for four issues. Orders may be placed and payments transmitted through E.I.C. American authors with articles in preparation include Barney Emmart of Massachusetts (opinion polls on public attitudes to the language problem); David-K. Jordan, Univ. of Chicago (the languages of Taiwan); Humphrey Tonkin, Univ. of Pennsylvania (a concise bibliography of the language problem); and Richard Wood, Univ. of Hawaii (linguistic problems in the Netherlands Antilles). -o- Hams Across the Sea Esperanto was used in a trans-Pacific radio contact by two amateurs in what was probably a "first" on September 2. Contact was established in the 15-meter band by KH6GT, Bunnie Chambers, U.E.A. delegate in Wahiawa, Oahu, Hawaii, and XE1M, Dr. Pedro Magana Erosa, delegate in Mexico City. The latter is one of the pioneers of amateur radio in Mexico, and a long-time Esperantist. By phone-patch. Prof. Richard E. Wood of the University of Hawaii's European language department took part in the contact. Chambers now hopes to extend communication to Japan and asks Japanese radio amateurs who speak Esperanto to look for KH6GT during its scheduled contacts with XE1M on or near 21400 kc/s, at 2300 GMT. -o- Available from E.I.C. at 10 cents per copy, the United Nations school booklet with world map. -4- NL 10/68 P.A.C. - E.L.N.A. Pamphlet to Be Ready by Spring The manuscript is nearing completion for the pamphlet on problems of world communication which Dr. Mario Pei is writing for publication by the Pub- lic Affairs Committee (P.A.C.). Copies will then be furnished for Esperanto specialists to check, and unless an unforeseen amount of change is indicated, the pamphlet should be ready for distribution by early spring. It will survey the problems of world communication, demonstrate the need for a world language to supplement people's own native tongues, discuss the pro's and con's of Eng- lish and other national languages and describe Esperanto as the most logical contender presently in the field. There will be a section on Esperanto gram- mar and word-building vocabulary with a sample of English and Esperanto in parallel translation to give the general reader some idea of the language. E.L.N.A. is committed to purchase 25,000 copies at a cost of $2750, all of which is on hand or pledged, thanks to the quick and generous response of many individuals. One third of the total was paid on the signing of the contract with P.A.C., another third will be due when the final form of the manuscript is accepted by E.L.N.A. and P.A.C, and the remainder when the pamphlet is printed. The retail price of the 28-page pamphlet will be 25 cents. -o- "U.N. Radio Tip-Toes Around the World" Under that headline the New York Post pointed out some of the difficult- ies encountered in running the U.N.'s 30-language radio center which transmits programs ranging from Amharic and Arabic to Tagalog and Thai. It is "a lot more complicated than what went on at the Tower of Babel," according to the Post reporter, who quoted a program service spokesman as saying, "We have to be extremely careful of our political terminology. We even have to be care- ful of normal English words because they mean different things in different countries." -o- WHAT TO GIVE THOSE GREEN-STAR FRIENDS Looking for a neat little gift for your foreign correspondents? (Domes- tic ones too!) Consider the packaged stationery offered by the Portland Es- peranto Society for $1.00 postpaid. It includes 10 each of printed top sheets, plain second sheets, printed envelopes and printed postal cards, light-weight and neatly packaged. The imprint on the 5%"x 8%" top sheets and envelopes is a 2-line design :of a tiny star and "ESPERANTO—Lingvo Internacia" in green ink. Cards have an Esperanto sentiment adjacent to the address section. If you order now it will (a) keep you from mislaying the address and (2) enable the Society to estimate the quantity they will need to prepare. Order from: Mrs. C.A. Nehls, 18110 Ed-Anna Court, Portland, Ore. 97222. -o- The Chicago Sun-Times of Sept. 19 ran a page-length feature article and photograph on the Rev. George J. Wuest of the Loyola University language fac- ulty in Chicago, who has an Esperanto class at the university5s Lewis Towers campus and another at the Y.M.C.A. About half the article is given over to an explanation of Esperanto. Fr. Wuest is president of the Chicago Esperanto Society. \ -5- NL 10/68 ROUND THE COUNTRY MAINE Servicemen at Loring Air Base at Caribou had a shot at Esperanto in a class at the United Service Organization (U.S.O.) Center taught by Daniel Gorham, executive director of the center. Attendance ranged from 15 to 20. MASSACHUSETTS A fund to underwrite the distribution of Esperanto materials to the libraries of Berkshire County has been set up with the General Electric Foundation matching a $200 contribution by Allan C Boschen, president of the county society. He taught a course at the Berkshire Commun- ity College for the second consecutive summer. Several applications have been received from candidates to teach a graduate credit course at the North Adams Community College next summer, following an announcement of the opening in the August Newsletter. A tourist brochure in the international language is under consideration by the Massachusetts Department of Commerce. CONNECTICUT S. E. Kittridge of Newington won first place in a contest ar- ranged by Polish Radio for the best collection of Polish stamps and first-day covers. His picture appeared in Heroldo of October 1. NEW YORK Fort Tryon Park was the site of the New York City Society's sum- mer picnic. The October meeting will hear reports on the U.E.A. Congress at Madrid from Rochelle Grossman, Louisa Schmidt, Dewey Frezzolini and Marian Newell. Despite a severe cut in funds for adult education that has reduced the number of subjects taught and shortened the term, the Bryant Adult Evening Center will have a class in Esperanto taught by Mark Starr. PENNSYLVANIA The Eastern Region conference at Meadville is reported on Page 2 in this issue. The State Modern Language Bulletin for August carried a 2-page article by William P. Simpson of Harrisburg on "The Viability of Esperanto." A syndicated article, "A Man in the Middle of the Peace Talks," which dealt with the delicate job of an interpreter at the Paris negotiations, brought forth letters to the Allentown Morning Call by Donald Munro and to the Erie Times by Conrad Fisher on the advan- tages of Esperanto for such a situation. OHIO Kevin Sheard of Cleveland delivered a paper before the International Esperanto Association of Jurists in Madrid and attended the U.E.A. Congress there. His topic was "Freedom of Assembly According to American Law." Mr. Sheard will teach an Esperanto class this fall in the adult education pro- gram of the Shaker Heights Recreation Board. ILLINOIS A 10-week course in basic Esperanto being taught at Loyola univer- sity in Chicago by Fr. George J. Wuest had 26 advance enrolees. David K. Jordan has returned to the University of Chicago after a year of anthropological research in Taiwan. The Chicago Society notes with regret the death of Robert Runser's mother. A speaker at the July meeting was Ar- mando Cortez Garcia of Lake Forest, who came from a Spanish village near Valencia. He told the group that after studying English for three years and Esperanto for three months, he found himself more proficient in Esperanto. WASHINGTON Publicized by a series of spot ads and a news story, Walla Walla will have two classes this year, one taught by Mrs. Peggy Linker, E.L.N.A. treasurer, and the other by Albert Estling. At the state fair an Esperanto exhibit was set up and in the fair parade a huge poster read "Do ' -6- NL 10/68 you speak Esperanto, the international language?" Nine adults and five chil- dren from Walla Walla went to Spokane for the Esperanto picnic. Spokane is preparing for the Pacific Northwest regional Esperanto conference next June. H. K. Ver Ploeg addressed the Bahai Peace Day Conference in September. He is starting a class this month and Mrs. Lee Schmidt, who maintained a class all through the summer, now has a group at Rogers high school. OREGON The problem of a meeting place for classes is solved in Portland by cooperative public libraries. Members of the Association of Retired Persons have a daytime class in Esperanto at the central library taught by Mrs. Nellie Jane Campbell and an evening intermediate conversation group meets there under Anne Whitteker's leadership. At the Midland branch library, Jim Deer has an 8-week evening class for beginners. A second intermediate class meets at the home of the teacher, Mrs. Cedric Nehls. At the September meeting of the Society, Donna Slusher gave a talk on Japan, illustrated with slides. In October, Jim and Evelyn Deer gave readings from Berci Dargas' Hungarian novels. A summer picnic at the home of Paul and Rosella Johnson brought to- gether 30 Esperanto enthusiasts. Last year's sale of Esperanto stationery was so successful that the project is being repeated. HAWAII Prof. Richard E. Wood of the University of Hawaii's department of European languages is contributing a paper on language problems in the Netherlands Antilles to La Monda Lingvo-Problemo, the new language jour- nal to be launched in December. Processor Wood sent in the report on a Hawaii-Mexico ham radio contact which appears elsewhere in this Newsletter, Mrs. Mary Catherine Sears, a teacher from La Honda, Calif., spent the summer in Honolulu, developing an Esperanto course for high schools. Mr. and Mrs. George Harvey of San Diego have recently moved to Oahu. CALIFORNIA Its committee members having recovered from post-convention narcosis following the E.L.N.A. Congress at Covina in July, the Esperanto Institute of Southern California has two classes scheduled - one at the Covina high school where Leslie Green and an assistant will handle both elementary and intermediate students, the other at Azusa evening high school with Jean Falicki as teacher. The Institute has a number of loan ex- hibits designed to fit standard library display cases. The Los Angeles club had a summer picnic at Echo Park. At the September meeting of the San Diego Association, Lou Stein, just returned from Madrid, described his first world congress. Two evening classes have been organized for the fall semester at the Hoover and Mission Bay high schools. Charles Mann will teach, with Francis Helmuth assisting. At San Francisco Regional Organization meetings in September and Octo- ber, Peg Barkley reported on the Madrid Congress, and Bill and Cathy Schulze, who went to England from Spain, described the post-Congress at Zaragoza, the international Scout jamboree in Essex, the Wedgewood Teachers College course at Barlaston, and the Stoke-on-Trent Esperanto radio programs. Classes are all set for adult evening schools in Alameda, Daly City, Palo Alto, Redwood City and San Francisco, with prospects in seven other communities. Doris Val- lon of San Mateo presented an Esperanto workshop at the state Teachers' Asso- ciation curriculum conference on October 4-5. Miss Vallon reported to the San Francisco group on the Esperanto summer course for teachers arranged at the University of Indiana by Duncan Charters. -7- NL 10/68 Professor Finds Esperanto Useful Travel Aid The iowa City Press-Citizen of Sept. 21 reported on a European trip made by the family of Prof. W. D. Wade of the state university's electrical engineering department and the use they made of Esperanto, which they first studied two years ago in Prof. Lawrence A. Ware's classes. Professor Wade presented a technical paper at the International Network Theory symposium at Belgrade. In Copenhagen, he gave an Esperanto audience a 90-minute talk on a "back packing" trip through Colorado, with slides. The Wades also visited Brussels, Paris, Geneva and Zurich. "They report the entii+e trip through Europe as especially satisfying because of the many courtesies accorded them by Universal Esperanto Associa- tion members and local speakers of Esperanto," the Press-Citizen said. Professor Wade will be on leave from the university this coming year to serve on the faculty of the University of the West Indies at Trinidad. -o- Radio Poland has recently added two new daily broadcasts to its regular Esperanto program. An 11:30 p.m. program is repeated next day at 6:30 a.m. on meters 200, 25.09, 42.11 and 50.04. The original program continues at 4:30 p.m. on 25.34 and 31.50 meters. (Warsaw time is six hours ahead of EST.) For program announcements in Esperanto write Pola Radio, Esperanto Redakcio, Warsaw, Poland. -o- Radio stations in 19 countries carried more than 2000 broadcast messages in Esperanto on tourist information in 1967; 700 tourist organizations put out Esperanto brochures and other advertising material. Railway timetables in the international language were issued in Austria, Germany, Spain, Finland, Italy, Switzerland and Yugoslavia. The U.E.A. yearbook for 1967 lists 3500 delegates in 63 countries who will render assistance to travelers. — From a report by Maurice Jaumotte for the International Academy of Tourism at the U.E.A. Congress in Madrid. -o- E.I.C. is making a sur study circles. If you belong is filled out and sent in. vey of local Esperanto groups - societies, clubs, to one of these, please see that the form below INFORMATION WANTED! Name of local group Name and address of president and secretary or of local leader Term of office expires Number of members ___ Study classes _______ Frequency of meetings Please return form to Esperanto Information Center, 156 5th Ave., New York 10010 1 -8- NL 10/68 For a list of over a hundred sound tapes with information on running time, write to H.K. Ver Ploeg, E.L.N.A- Audio-Visual Section, 320 E. 19th Ave., Spokane, Wash. 99203. A recent acquisition is a 120-minute tape recording of the spring conference at the University of Indiana on the teaching of Esperan- to and its literature. Half a dollar for mailing and handling will bring you tapes for 30-day periods. Just the thing for that study group that needs to hear Esperanto in actual use or for your own edification. "Send me a tape of-your convention or any group discussion where something interesting has„been*~reĉorded, " says Mr. Ver Ploeg, "and l_wi.ll use it in our free service section;-~or' it might be of value for the archives." He is work- ing with Rudiger Eicholz of Cardiff, Canada, on an exchange system for audio- visual aids. ""_ * -o- It took 55 U.N. interpreters, 44 revisors and 132 translators to handle the four languages used at a U.N. trade development conference in- New Delhi. They were flown to India at a cost of $878,500 for salaries, travel and ex- penses. Total translation costs of the U.N. and its agencies - $18 million last year. The 1969 Pacific Northwest regional Esperanto conference will take place in Spokane, Wash.,--June 20-22 at the Coeur d'Alene hotel. -o- — Last chance to enter pre-orders for the 1580-page Plena Ilustrita Vor- taro. The tentative price of $19 may be reduced if sufficient orders are received. The approved form of a pledge to purchase may be sent by postcard or letter addressed either to E.I.C. for transmittal or direct to S.A.T., 67 Ave. Gambetta, Paris 20., France, (Do not send any money now) : Your name and address (in English) on one line, followed by this sen- tence: "Responde al la Alvoko de S.A.T., mi firme kaj formale promesas aceti P.I.V. kaj pagi kiam nova komuniko aperos en la esperante gazetaro," Append the date and your signature. -o- A tape recording of the readings and exercises in "Teach Yourself Esper- anto" is obtainable from Edward Tappey, Crystal Beach, Fla. 33523 for $1.00. Or send your own blank 3-inch tape plus 25 cents in stamps and, he will record it for you. Specify the-speed at which the copy should be made. One-mil tape will take the full: Recording; 1-1/2-mil copied at 3-3/4,.i.p.s. will not take quite all of it. The original recording was done from *the-Creswell- Hartley textbook by E.L.N.A. secretary Conrad Fisher. -o- *-"" '. INFORMATION CENTER ''■W'^l ESPERANTO LEAGUE km NORTH AMERICA ^ŜfeĴP^ 156 Fifth ATenue, New Yoric, M.Y. 10010 FIRST CLASS