DIVERSITY LIBRARY NOV 3- ! b :d AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO SEPTEMBER, 1920 OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ESPERANTO ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA Digitized by V^jOOQ lC AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO OrnCIAL ORGAN of The Esperanto Association of North America, Inc. a propaganda organisation for tbe furtherance of the study and use of tbe International Auxiliary language, Esperanto. MRS. I.' af. HORN CO EDITORS: NORMAN "W. FROST fi."ls."oCO**T GLUB DIRECTORY This department is conducted solely for the benefit of our organised groups through- out the country. It furnishes a means of keeping in dose touch wit* the work in other Cities, for the exchange of ideas and helpful suggestions, and for the formation of valuable friendships In a united Held of endeavor. BERKELEY, CALIF. Berkeley* Esperanto Rondo.—Classes Monday add Tuesday evenings at 8.00.—Meetings Thursday evenings at 2508 Vine St. Address Vinton Smith, 530 62nd St., Oakland. Calif. OAKLAND, CALIF. Oakland Eaperanta-Rondo; L. D. Stockton, Sec. ft Trees., 438 15th St. ' ' rt SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. San Francisco Rondo, meets Second Tuesday eve., room 124, Chronicle Bldg. F-ino M. D. Van Sloan, Sec'y, 046 Central Av. MONTREAL, CANADA. Montreal Esperanto Society, Group No. 1. Boom 13, Tooke Bldg., St. Catherine St. Meets Wednesday evening at 8.00 o'clock. Esperanto meetings every Saturday evening at 0 P. M. at 20 Selkirk Ave. ALL arc welcome. WASHINGTON, D. C. La Kabea Esperanta Klubo meets every Sat* urday, at 8.30 P. M., during summer at apt. 83, 70« XI St., N. W. Kolumbia Esperanto Unuigo. Public meeting (bird Thursday of each month except Joly and August at Public Library. Club meetings each Thursday evening except third at 20 Randolph Place, N. W. All Esperantlata in- vited. CHICAGO ILLS. La Gradata Esperanto-Societo, Dvorak Park. Jaroslov Sobehrad. Sec'y. 1116 W. 19th Place. La Esp. Oficejo. 1669 Blue Island Ave. Kunvenaa 2an kaj 4an sab. diumonate. 19 B08TON. MASS. Boston Esp. Soc, 507 Pierce Bldg., Copley Sq. Meets Tues., 7 P.M. Miss A. Patten. Sec WORCESTER, MASS. Worcester County Esperanto 8ociety. Business Institute, every Friday, 0.00 P.M. PORTLAND, ME. Portland Esperanto Society, Trelawny Bldg. Hiss Emma Sanborn, Sec'y, 16 Conant St. Detroit, mich. Detroit Esperanto Office, 307 Breltmeyer Bldg.. open daily. Librirv at disposal ol everybody daily, 7 A.M-9P.M.. except Tues. Aid Fri. Classes meet Tues. and Fri., 0.10 P.M. La Pola Esperanto Asocio, B. Lendo, 8ek., 120 20th St. HEBRON, NEBRASKA. Lh- Hebrona Grupo kunvenaa Clun Jafldon 8 ft: s»fc %&m%& Barry Hognrfa, ViceTres.:y' Groups are listed for 12 laauea of the maga- xine, at a cost of only 21 cents lor the two- line insertion. Extra lines are 10 cents each additional. The heading,—name of city or town—is inserted free This" matter warrants the immediate attention of every club secre- tary. PLAINVIBW, NSBR. Bsperanto-Fako de la "Sola Skolto" (Lone Scout), 500 N. Dearborn, Chicago, 111. (Rs- vuo por la Junularo. Organisu grupon Inter la geknaboj. Granda snkceso. Abonu tujl tare .73; Kvarmonate -25.) Fakestro. Cbac P. Lang, Plalnvlew, Nebr. HOBOKEN. N. J. •TO O.K. Esperanto Club No. 1 of Greater N.Y." meets every Tuesday at 8.30 P.M. in 61 First St., 3rd Floor West. All welcome Pres., Mrs. M. O. Haugland; Sec'y Win. Preusse; Instructor, A. MendeUon. Address all communications to the secretary at above address. BUFFALO, N. Y. Buffalo Esperanto Society, A. E. Warren, Pres.; Miss Ray Morris, Sec.; meets Thurs- day evenings at 60 High St. 19 NEW YORK CITY. N. Y. The Greater New York Esperanto Society, including all chartered clubs in Manhattan. The Bronx, Brooklvn. Queens, Richmond, Long Island, Westchester County and' the New Jersey suburbs. Miss Leonora Stoepplar, Sec 105 W. 04th St. The New York Banco, or Esperanto sup- per, is held on the THIRD FRIDAY of every month (6.30 P. M.) Information from sec- retary. La dimanda kunveno. al Ho Ciu) estas bon- venaj, okasas je la tria horo. posttiemeic diun dimandon. de la logefo de S-ro Joseph Silbernik. 229 Etst 18th St.. Manhattan. CLEVELAND. OHIO. La Zamenhofa Klubo; S. KoxminakL Sax., 3406 Mever Ave. ERIE. PA. La Pola Studenta Societo, Prof. E- Bobrogrski, inĝ., St. John Kan'y College, eldonas monatan jurnalon, "La Studento," jara abono $1.00. PHILADELPHIA. PA. Phila. Esp. Soc. Miss Marie Knowlan, cot Sec, 1420 18th St. Meets 4th Fri., Hotel Hanover, 12th and Arch Sts. Rondeto de Litovo-Pola] Esperantlstoj, 2AJ3 Livingstqn St Esperanta atelo de PoluJo.. 8ekr„ 8. 2jyak. Kunvenas msrdon veapere inter 8-10 h., 307 N. York, Ave. 10, PITTSBURGH, PA. Esperanto Sec, Academy of Science and Art, James McKirdy, Sec, Box 920. Fridays, $ MILWAUKEE, WHK>. Hesperus gspiTanrlstt, S-ino H. H. Kexner, Sek.. 629 Stttatnit Av., ; SdTuiuuIjors, t !>.*& M Digitized by CjOOQ I Amerika Esperantisto American Esperantist Entered as second-class matter May 15, 1913, at the Postoffice at West Newton Station, Boston, Mass., under the Act of March 3, 1879. A true translation of the. non-English portion of this magazine filed with the Post- , master, Boston, Mass. Published Monthly by THE ESPERANTO ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA WEST NEWTON, MASS. Every article in this magazine (unless expressly excepted) may be translated or re- printed without further permission. One Dollar a Year. Single Copy Ten Cents. Po Dudek Respond-Kuponoj ad Du Spesmiloj (Oraj) Jare. Vol. 26 . • September, 1920 No. 5 DEMOCRACY AND UNION AT THE HAGUE It was not without trepidation that the Esperanto world ap- proached the Twelfth Congress; most of us Esperantists were poor, the journey was costly and the necessary expenses at the Hague higher than elsewhere in Europe. Still we all knew that a meeting was most essential and for that meeting neutral territory requisite, so Holland was the best choice. It was known that the congress would be small, our four hundred was well up to expectations; per- haps the very lack of greater numbers made for less talk, more actual accomplishment. This congress was essentially a work congress, and there was, in fact, plenty of work to be done. The European world was split into factions, even in our Esperanto world we had felt a painful consciousness of a certain line of division, a certain baraktemeco, of which the overemphasized difference about land names was only a symptom. A world congress should be—is, when unchecked by nationalisms such as national tongues—a getting together spiritual- ly, and when a convention has felt the thrill of a common ideal, the differences fade into insignificance. So it was at the Hague. What- ever our crochets when we came to the Binnenhof where the old Ridderzaal extended its wings about us, we came away fully con- scious of unanimity of aims and with clearly outlined plans of action and purpose of acheivement. The congress has in so far as in ;t lay, made sure of two vital changes in the Esperanto world: Digitized by CjOOQIC 2 AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO 1. That the Lingva Komitato, our fundamental controlling in- stitution in matters of language and as the electorate of our execu- tive, the Akademio, shall be chosen in a democratic manner. 2. That w? all join in a single non-national organization, to function entirely apart from the national propaganda associations, -to rule the entire central movement, and to assign each department of our common labors to that Esperanto center legally empowered or best fitted to deal therewith. Unless the outspoken desires of this congress be directly flouted, we may hope in the coming year and by vote of the Xlllth Congress at Praha to put both these plans into effect. DEK-DUA UNIVERSALA KONGRESO DE ESPERANTO The kongresanoj began gathering on Saturday. On that day and the next the delegates from Persia, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Great Britain signed their names at the reception rooms in the Girls' Public High School on Bleijenburg Street. Here the citizens of the 'International City', as the Hague is called saw the actual working of Esperanto in the buzz of conversations between nationals of every land. Sunday was the official opening day. The nations gathered in the Akceptejo to elect their spokesmen; then at noon came a service in Esperanto in the Waloon church conducted by R. W. F. Kyften- belt, long a pastor in the Dutch East Indies. W. M. Page of Scot- land and Pastor Patiala of Finnland also read parts of the service, and F-ino Palm sang the soloes. About three o'clock we kongresanoj collected at the historic old Ridderzaal from whose tower waved our own green banner. This building was the nucleus about which the city grew up, today it is surrounded on all sides by government departments. Access is gained by arched doorways for man and tramcar. Entering the hall by the unpretentious doorway, we found ourselves confronted by a large open hall luxuriantly hung with rich draperies to a height of some ten feet. The prevailing color of draperies, and upholstery was a soft green but at one side in the center rose a lofty canopy in royal purple and gold. There on a pedestal upon the dais stood a white marble bust of the Majstro smiling a welcome to us. The delegate-spokesmen were given front seats to be ready for their greetings, and all open seats were filled with curious visitors. A table of stenographers and newspaper reporters occupied the pit, between the speakers' stand and the canopied dais whereon sat our congress officials. President Warden of the Konstanta Komitato por Kongresoj made the opening speech of welcome to the delegates. Then the Burgomaster of the City greeted us and was made an hon- orary president as was also General Sebert. As active president we selected Mr. Isbrucker, with Dr. Mees and Mr. Warden as vice- presidents and Mr. Bruijn, Mr. Deiigne, and Mme. Cense as secre- taries. Chairman Isbrucker thanked the burgomaster for his greet- Digitized by VjOOQlC AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO 3 ing and told of the reasons why the international Esperanto Con- gress had come to this city of internationalism. This, our congress, was to show that a world speech was no Utopian dream but a present actuality before the world, we hoped that this congress would lead to governmental investigation of Esperanto. In reply Burgomaster Patijn thanked the congress for the honor done him and recognizing the intense need of the world for Esperanto, expressed his sympathy for our ideals, tho not himself a partizan. Pres. Isbrucker translated the speech welcoming all of us and thanking those whose support and encouragement had made our congress possible. He recalled the years of trial which our cause has undergone, the break-up of the great Paris Congress and the loss of our leaders and founder. He called upon us, not so many in numbers as in former congresses, to make the congress one of harmony and of important work. Professor Privat amid long applause toolc the stand. In beauti- ful words he reviewed the life and works and hope of Dr. Zamenhof. He led us back to the unhappy town in Poland where the vision of the world-uniting speech was born and became a reality: the boy's ideal; the youth's project; the j oung man's resolute struggle; and the man's hopes coming nearer and nearer to accomplishment only to be held back and blighted for the time by the horrors of war. Then he took us to the bedside agony and simple funeral that took from our midst the body of the idealist, whose life of service should inspire us. Dr. Zamenhof dead, ours is the duty to spread Esperanto abroad everywhere, and above all in a time like this when mankind is excep- tionally awake to the idea of a world speech. Next the congress received the greetings of official representa- tives: of the Italian Marine, Com. Alessio; of the Spanish Military and Red Cross establishments, Capt. Perogordo; of the Ministries of Commerce and Foreign Affairs of Cheko-Slovakia, A. Pitlik; and of the Bulgarian and Netherlands Educational Departments. Greetings followed from societ • delegates from Austria, America, Algeria, Bel- gium, Denmark, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Finland, Germany, Holland, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland. These for- malities over, we sallied forth for babilado and refreshment. Monday morning at 9 the U. E. A. opened its first session. First came the obituary of H. Hodler and others. Then official letters were read, conveying the greetings of various societies in Europe, Brazil, China, India, Australia, Vladivostok, and Iceland; from the International Society of Ex-Soldiers; from Abdul Baha, head of the Bahai; from Sir Eric Drummond, secretary of the League of Nations (regretting that owing to San Sebastian Conference he could send no representative; tho convinced of the need of Esperanto and the worth of the work of the Esperantists) ; from the Qiieen of the Netherlands; from the Mayor of London; and from many others. Several new delegates had arrived, including Mr. Sussmuth who brought greetings from the New York Esperanto Club and from the Harmonio Society. Editor Stettler spoke of the labors of the U. E. A., the need for mutual helpfulness. He called upon all to help by council, criticisms Digitized by LjOOQ lC 4 AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO and finances the success of the league. Therewith he began the read- ing of the new statutes proposed for the U. E. A. Of the 64 articles several were slightly changed, numbers 1, 3 and 10 awaking some discussion. Monday afternoon at 3 began the first working session of the congress itself under presidency of Mr. Isbrucker. The first announcement was that inasmuch as not all regions could be represented advisory powers only were given to this congress and decisions counted by equal vote. Our work began with a proposal presented by the large Dutch society 'La Estonto Estas Nia', demanding reform of the Ljngva Komitato and citing the report of the Akademio to the 9th congress. The proposal was to the effect that the election of members of the Lingva Komitato and Akademio is not suitable; that both bodies should be reformed; that they should be composed of empowered del- egates (of National societies). In support of the proposal it was argued that the duties of the L. K. and Ak. go unfulfilled even on grave questions—e. g., the vote on the principle of necessity and suf- ficiency. Out of 143 members only some 9 considered the language questions while the L. K. ought to be made up of persons who really work in language matters. The method of election to the L. K. by the committee itself was utterly undemocratic. Debate waxed some- what hot as to the actual labor performed by the L. K., but as the sentiment of the congress as a whole was plainly in favor of some reform, Mr. Warden drafted the following resolution: That the congress expresses the desire that the proposal of 'La Estonto Estas Nia' shall be sent to the president of the L. K. to ex- amine and draw up for the thirteenth congress a proposal.for the democratization of the method of election to the L. K. Following this action, Mr. Sussmuth rose as chairman of the L. K. Committee on a Textile Arts vocabulary, to beg the co-operation of all in his work. He offered if necessary to himself pay the expense of publication. Mme. Cense of the Paris Central Office then rose to warn the congress against false reports concerning Esperanto in Russia, con- tradicted by news she had received in Paris from a visitor from Petro- grad, who knew nothing of Esperanto in the schools and stated that other organizations had a share in the Moskow Esperanto Headquar- ters. In reply Prof. Privat stated that he had received the news from official sources, that no doubt everything emanating from Russia nowadays might be questioned, that we were certajn of some progress and the official declarations of support. Facts must await the war's conclusion. (We would appreciate an authorized statement of facts in dispute from Russian sources, even tho they may continue to be questioned in Paris.) Tuesday was given over to an illustrated lecture on Praha, and a visit to the Huis ten Bosch (dealt with elsewhere). Wednesday morning the U. E. A. met once more in the Rid- derzaal with Prof. Privat in the chair. Ed. Stettler read the amended statutes of the U. E. A. Mr. Alessio rose to make certain extraneous Digitized by VjOOQ IC AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO 5 criticisms but was referred to the Congress proper. On the objection of Mr. Applebaum the location of the central office was freed from its limitation to Berne, Switzerland. Some discussion of the official organ ensued but it was decided to continue its policies un- changed. The statutes were then closed to discussion by common consent. Mr. Page called attention to the labor and care of Ed. Stet- tler in collecting and editing the statutes. It was announced to all delegates or vice delegates that their position is not intended as a sinecure, those who accept the responsibility should work, answer correspondence promptly, etc. One member suggested that a bridge be constructed between the Central Office and the U. E. A.; and Mr. Alessio continuing the dis- cussion remarked upon the lack of a firm democratic basis for the offices. Ed. Stettler then gave a sketch of a proposal for reorganiza- tion made by him to the Paris C. O. The meeting voted to present this to the congress. Wednesday afternoon came a number of special group meetings as vegetarians, doctors, C. C. L. C, masonic, etc. Thursday afternoon the Congress met again in the Ridderzaal. The proposal of the Polish Society to work for 'deviga instruado' in the schools was rejected after considerable discussion. (As we under- stand it 'deviga' as used in Europe implies obligatory upon the schools, and has no relation whatever to any option by the individual scholar). We learnt with pleasure during the discussion that one hundred and fifty of the school teachers of Milan have learned Esperanto. There ensued the most important discussion of the congress. Editor Stettler for the U. E. A. outlined a proposal for a reorganiza- tion of our whole movement (overthrowing the present nascent Inter- nacia Asocio but not setting up the U. E. A. in its place). Congresses, he argued, are essentially composed only of the richer delegates, 'rajtigitaj,' it is true, but unpaid and hence irresponsible. The need today is for a non-national Esperanto Society; national so- cieties are not easy to equalize on account of varying national rules, yet for propaganda purposes they are necessary. There ought to be a strict division between the national and the central organizations. Esperantujo cannot be like a political state. Let every Esperantist pay one single membership fee to the central organization in order to create an Esperantist International. Let a guiding Central Com- mittee be set. up to determine the division of such membership receipts between, say, 1. U. E. A. at Bern to govern administration, organi- zation, registration, treasury, services, and practical application of Esperanto. 2. General propaganda center at Paris, working among rulers, etc. 3. Paid secretary for official decrees of Lingva K. and Ak. at Paris. 4. Supervision of teaching and instruction at London. 5. Publications 'Literatura' Ass'n. at Dresden. Discussion being thrown open Mme Cense rose to question whether the Esperantists were rich enough to sustain the expenses; in her opinion the Congresses were completely democratic at present. Much discussion followed as to non-democratic tendencies of the plan and Editor Stettler retorted by pointing out the lack of demo- cratic action in the Societe des Amis and the Eldonejo. Digitized by VjOOQ lC 6 AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO The sentiment of the Congress was plainly overwhelmingly in favor of an attempt at union as proposed and a committee was ap- pointed ; 2 from the U. E. A.; 2 from the Central Office in Paris; 3 from the Congress. Mr. Nylen of Sweden proposed for the commit- tee Messrs. Page, Arnholdt and Poncet as opposed to Messrs. Mahn, Emerson and lsbrucker, suggested by Stettler. After some debate, Messrs. Page, Arnholdt and Poncet were chosen. In the opinion of the Congress it is necessary to form a general international organiza- tion of individual Esperantists to carry on the necessary central func- tions and the Congress therefore requests the C. O. of Paris and the U. E. A. to form a commission to prepare and report a plan before spring. THE OLD RIDDERZAAL Friday was spent in a trip to Leiden, where the Pilgrim Fathers stayed. Saturday morning the Congress met for the last time. Dr. L. Zamenhof presented a proposal for the founding of an Esperanto Home; the Congress expressed its sympathy but decided to leave the affair to the initiative of individuals. Com. Alessio made some critic- ism of the Esperantists as idealists rather than practical men. The invitation of Mr. Pitlik that the next congress be held in Praha, Cheko-Slovakia was accepted with great acclaim and several invita- tions for side trips added. Mme Cense spoke of the gravity of the meeting to be held at Brussels by the International Academies and urged that all who could attend or bring propaganda to bear. Digitized by VjOOQ lC AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO 7 AT THE XIITH WORLD CONGRESS Three delegates of the Esperanto Association of North America reached the Congress: Mr. Sussmuth of New York, Mr. J. C. Pellett of Brattleboro, Vt., and Mr. N. W. Frost of Boston. The first, a member of the Lingva Komitato, had already come to Europe and been over the famine-wracked lands of Central Europe, of his experi- ences we hope to give an account later. The second, a Pilgrim fresh from America, brought news of our own congress in New York; he was last heard from en-route to Paris. The writer, your editor, is thus left alone to present the features of the Hague Congress to the best of his ability, aided by memory, clippings from Dutch newspa- pers, a few notes, and all the printed accounts at hand. The account will therefore necessarily be imperfect. Up to the middle of July I expected to sail in cognito (that is to say: in a cattleboat) but as coal was lacking at the port of Boston, I had to seize upon the one way open by way of Montreal. In Mon- treal I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Allen, Mr. Beauchemin, Mr. Pratley, Dr. Phyzicky and Mrs. Cowles; others were absent at the New York congress. The voyage across the ocean, my first, was a pleasure, despite my impatience to get to strange shores. Antwerp, where I landed and sta.ed a few days, was a delight; I was close up under the cathedral where the chimes rang sweetly thru my dreams and the wooden shoes clattered across my waking hours. The old cathedral gave me a sense of a European's ability then, if not now, to forget the individual self for the common good. It rained in Antwerp, not one real downpour but rather by capricious custom. In the morn- ing the sun shone, an hour later, on the Place Yerte, a cloud let fall a shower upon the flowerstands. Happily there are always trams mov- ing slowly as a yoke of oxen, and when a shower comes on, one need only step up into the passing car. Aside from the rain there is no water to be found in the city; perhaps that is why so many American sailors were to be seen tacking along the sidewalks. All the inhabit- ants seemed happy and busy, the only memorial of war being the motley crowd of military uniforms. The city was getting ready for the Olympic Games, banners were flung out everywhere and arches and wooden statuary in course of erection. Sunday morning early, I set out for the Hague in a compartment with three of a French family, two Flemish women and one German. Of course I tried to propagand a bit, but as my scanty French was Canadian, my Ger- man confined to a few words, and Flemish a minus quantity, I really don't know whether any one was impressed or not. At last we came to the frontier and I had my first experience of double customs sta- tions, an unspeakable nuisance. After having one's clean clothes mussed up and dirty clothes overhauled at one station to have to stop for another hour's wait to get the performance repeated and the jumble exposed is exasperatingly needless. Happilv just as I left the car one of the station officials sighted my little green star. "Bonan tagon, sinjoro!" "Bonan tagon, samideano!" At last a fellow crea- ture! The next few minutes took away all the tedium of the long Digitized by VjOOQ lC 8 AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO wait. There were Esperantists on the train from Spain and from Lyons, perhaps others. I had the chance for a chat, all too brief, with S-ino Farges before the machinery of the custcms enmeshed us. I was no longer alone, but one of the host. The time flew, as the train sped on past canals and towns and cow-filled meadows, and windmills, and fields of vegetables, on to the Hague. There we were met at the station by helping hands and directed to our lodgings , if advance notice or our coming had arrived. Yes, one was there for a S-ino N. \Y. Frost; a kind samideano even went with me all the way to my "pension" (rooming house), and gave me full directions how to get about. It was well for me that Mr. H. Fischer was so kind, for my hostess was out, cancelling any chance of enquiries in French, and the young man who knew German and "some" English was away also, so only the housemaid with a Dutch of gatling gun rapidity con- fronted us. My room on the third floor gave an excellent outlook across the flower scented backyards of the block. I had only time to leave my suitcase and my outer casing of journey grime and then hurried away to the Ridderzaal for my first congress meeting. Sun- AT THE EXTRANCE (S-ino Farges, Lyons, France) day afternoon I had enough to do getting used to the Ridderzaal and giving the greeting of North America. (As Mr. Sussmuth and Mr. Pellett had not yet arrived, I had elected myself spokesman by unani- mous vote). Beside me, in my seat as spokesman-delegate, sat Mr. Patiala of Finnland, his slow rythmic Esperanto true music to the ear. To my left sat Mr. Arabeno of Genoa, Italy. Each of them could tell of great advances made in the past year, while I could only pledge our association to unremitting effort in the future as in the past. The Digitized by Google AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO w w u Z o u Digitized by VjOOQ lC 10 AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO session over I went out to get acquainted with the city. With a bor- rowed gulden (I had expected thoughtlessly to use Belgian money) I bought a few brown rolls and strolled along thru streets with canals and streets without, but keeping a keen watch on my course lest I lose my way. Everything seemed almost unnaturally clean; when" I sat down on a bench to munch a roll and an ice cream sand- wich I was careful not to drop a crumb on the ground. It was dark when I found my lodgings again, luckily the young man who knew English was there, so after the housemaid had rescued me from the family dog and puppy, and we had vainly tried conversation in English, Dutch, French, Flemish, German, Esperanto, and sign lan- guage, all parties were finally pacified and terms agreed upon. It was a work congress not a play congress, still festivities were not wholly neglected. On Monday arrived Mr. Sussmuth, and I had the hoped-for pleasure of meeting and making friends with him. Mon- day evening we attended the Royal Theatre to hear the grand Euterpe Orchestra, led by J .v. d. Burg. The concert opened with La Espero and the theatre rang with our words. The soloists were all Esperantists. The songs were interspersed with music, one notable piece being Fanituli. a Norwegian devil-dance which of old stirred the Norse countrymen to battles. Tuesday morning Mr. August Pitlik, specially sent by the Chamber of Commerce of Praha, gave an illustrated lecture in Es- peranto on that city and Chekoslovakia. (He told of ancient Bohemia, of the ancient University of Praha, which for a long time in the Middle Ages had but one competitor, Paris, as the only university of Christian Europe. He showed the beauties of modern Karsbad and the Chekoslovakian Alps, the mining industry, and the national cos- tumes. There followed fotoes of the Congress and a film of the Third Australian Esperanto Congress at Sydney. (At noon we had to visit the Post Office for passport vises, but the long time of waiting in line was passed in a din of babilado and merriment). In the afternoon we collected on the Plaatz, the tramcar centre, and walked out thru the old Hague forest to the Huis ten Bosch Palace, notable especially for its grey shadow paintings. That even- ing we ate supper in common in the wood nearby at the Boschhek, and enjoyed songs and declamations and humor by F-ino Applebaum and S-oroj Andersson, Patiala, Smit, and Arabeno, enjoyed them and cursed the Dutch band which broke in upon our festivities. Late that evening after a walk home thru the woods and a talk with the newly arrived Esthonian delegate, I bid Gis la revido! to Mr. Sussmuth who must be off upon his travels. 'Wednesday morning I felt myself quite alone in the world after last night's leave-taking, but at the congress who should be smiling a greeting but my old friend Mr. Pellett, bringing news of the New York convention and a generous addition to my funds. Wednesday evening after a day of labor we enjoyed as a reward an excellent historical drama, "Juĝa Sido in LSI3." The story goes that a good woman hid her French soldier husband escaping from a Digitized by CjOOQIC AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO 11 charge of bigamy. Accused by a rejected suitor and his jealous wife, the judges, despite popular outcry, condemned her to three years in prison and a day in the stocks (the last time this penalty was inflicted on a woman). The drama, a popular favorite in the Dutch original, was tense, the enunciation clear and beautiful. Afterwards came a performance largely by amateurs illustrating a "Musical Evening in 1813." : "BESIDE THE STILE WATERS," THE HAGUE, HOLLAND Thursday we visited the Peace Palace, a luxurious, perhaps too luxurious, building with a profusion of rare woods, silver, gold, and stained glass. Every country of the earth had given of its wealth to enrich this building, but what can riches alone effect without har- mony of mind, without a common body of purposes in a common lan- guage? Emerging amid flags waving and films whirring we rode off Digitized by Google 12 AMERfKA ESPERAXTISTO by street car thru the city, not honestly to see the city—we were all too engrossed in talk—but to let the civ see us. In the evening came the International Pall, a blaze of color and movement held in the great hall of the Royal Biological Society.. Spanish officer and Swedish peasant, Hungarian boyar and dame of Marcken, and many ainaher glided over the floor while on the stage was given an inimitable clog dance of the Holland children. At supper a sample of each language represented was given ranging from Esthoniau to Basque—(The Basques had three representatives; at the congress all excellent Esperantists). The press, Dutch and English, came in for well-deserved expressions of gratitude and the jollity lasted into the wee sma' hours when the moon is shining and the street cars are gone to bed. E. A. .N. A. Del. EKOST and SUSSMUTH Friday was a holiday spent in a trip to Eeyden, one time asylum of the Pilgrim Fathers. Here we were led about at high speed and enjoyed a delightful boat ride thru the "polders" (meadows below sea-level) and the Kager Lakes. We posed for a photograph on the town hall steps. JMr. Pellett and I made a little pilgrimage of our own over the city with the kind assistance of Samideano Woud to the John Robinson Court and the Pilgrim Memorial Church. Saturday afternoon S-ro Krestanov gave an illustrated lecture on Bulgaria. Of those who were not yet forced to return home, many took in a trip to Rotterdam Sunday. There we saw the greatest harbor in the world, huge East Indiamen at their docks, vast yards building dozens more of the steel leviathans, the greatest floating drydock in the world here at anchor. We waved our greetings to a quarantined group from the East and looked over the garden suburbs of the resi- dent workers. Returning to the city we climbed the artificial "mountain" with an altitude perhaps of half the Woolworth Building, the one place in Holland where bicycles are an exertion. Digitized by VjOOQ lC AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO 13 Monday two score of us made a trip to Amsterdam under guid- ance of S-ro Munters and F-ino Boom. We circled about the city canals like "Pigs in Clover" and paid a visit to the superb Art Mu- seum. In the evening, after a feast together where wit and babilado drowned the clinking of glasses, we crossed over by ferry to an open- air garden by the waterside, whence in the cooling dusk we could watch the ships, the city lights and spires, and the fireworks of the Saints day. Tuesday we journeyed to the "dead cities," so called. Bruick en Waterland showed us an old chapel quite as in Pilgrim days, and a model dairy with up-to-the-minute improvements in sanitation and care—though the cows are given plenty of fresh air, the human is content with stuffy wall cupboards for beds. Out over the Zuyder Zee we sailed to Vollendam, a true picture of old Holland where a boy sold little smoked eels to those who dared eat. The island of Marcken was our next stopping place; there a band of flaxen haired children in gaudy embroidered red and blue costumes assailed us. After streaming through back yards and antique houses we came back over the sea to the great city. The side trip was a delight both for what we saw and still more for the friendships we were able to make, for here even the leaders had time to converse freely. I left the party Tuesday morning, returning to the Hague for two days, then on to Antwerp where I picked up Mr. Pellett again— he had left me Monday. Together we went to Brussels and spent a couple of days in Antwerp, then he left to seek the battlefields by way of Liege and Namur, and I departed for Ghent and Bruges. I was wearing a tiny green flag in my hat band since the congress; as a result, two or three passers-by accosted me every day. In Bruges Esperanto has a strong footing. One morning whom should I met upon the street but, the U. E. A. delegate, F-ino Thooris, who, though all unforewarned, showed me over the city canals and offered to guide me about the city. On one of the main streets in the heart of the city what should meet my eye but the sign "Esperanto Hotel." This was the Cornet d'Or. Even when, one evening, I went to the cinema to see an American movie, there, posted up beside the screen, was a notice of the Esperanto club. One day in Ghent and a week in beau- tiful old Bruges, with an auto side trip to Ypres and Dixmude by way of contrast, and then I departed for England. At London I got in touch with B. E. A. headquarters at once. They kindly made arrangements for me for an excellent room in Hotel Shaftesbury, which was, as they said, convenient to everything. It is at the meeting point of six busy streets. A dry hotel itself, it has as neighbors, across the square two saloons, one Salvation Army mis- sion, a periodical store, and a place to buy collar buttons. A crossing of this sort is called a "circus" in London and it was some circus finding my way home at night and getting to the right angle of the right street. The Esperantists in London are a busy crowd. I at- tended two meetings of the central London Club, one of which, a lee- Digitized by Google 14 AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO ture upon Henry D. Thoreau, drew a crowd of over 60. Pretty good for the summer time! The Literatura kaj Debata Society group kindly invited me into their dread portals where a word of English means expulsion. The men were very earnest in debate but the ladies were politic and smiled. Mr. Epstein of the B. E. A. Office was kind enough to let me rummage at will through the book stock and propaganda leaflets. With Mr. Butler I had an earnest argument and then meeting one day by chance in the Zoo, got an opportunity to talk with Mrs. Butler and the kiddies. Taught Esperanto as their mother tongue, they knew every animal by name and readily gave up English to talk with me. Saturday and Sunday afternoons, Mr. Stuart-Menteth holds a little convention of his own in Hyde Park and every second Sunday occurs a Diservo in Harecourt Church. I must confess that in spite of an hour's search, I did not find the latter, but I know it was there all the same for Mr. Butler is the organist. I ran across Esperantists practically every day of my stay; in St. Paul's, and in Kew Gardens, and in the streets and this I owe to one of S-ino Farges' little silk flaglets in my hat band. At last my sailing time drew near, so I rode up to spend three days in Liverpool and Manchester and one unforgetable day in North Wales, including a walk along the beach from Rhyll to Abergele. The return passage,^ by the Melita, was uneventful and rapid. Getting off at Quebec, I. made a tour of the city and ate my lunch in the dusk upon the em- bankment. The night boat for Montreal was late but I got aboard at last and watched the glimmering lights of the citadel overhead and the hurrying stevedores below. I hoped to get in at Montreal some time Saturday morning—vain hopes—the steamer pushed out into the stream and there cast anchor in a thick fog until Sunday evening. I-sketched and read and wrote and argued with the argumentative until at last the boat got under way. We reached Montreal after mid- night and in the cold grey dawn 1 disembarked. I met during my three days' stay Vice-President Bardorf, Mr. Pratley, Mr. Durocher, Dr. Phizicky, Mrs. Cowles and Miss Terk, all ardent workers. With the aid of Dr. Phizicky I gave a little public talk Tuesday evening on "The Workingman and Esperanto" in Prince Arthur Hall, at the end of which interested enquirers were directed to present and future classes in English, French, and Rus- sian. The Star and La Patrie contained accounts of the meeting. OFFICE OBSERVATIONS Many matters are held over for the next issue in order that the account of the Hague Congress may be complete in this. We can offer for a short time a combination of the two congress numbers five of each for 50 cents, or two of each for 25 cemts. Just the thing to wake up an ex-Esperantist. In order that correspondence and orders may receive prompt at- tention, communications should be addressed from now on to The Esperanto Office, Pierce Building, Copley Square, Boston, Mass. For the present communications arriving at West Newton will also re- ceive attention at least once a week. Digitized by Google AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO _ 15 The headquarters of the magazine, Amerika Esperantisto, are still at West Newton 65, Mass., and all news items and correspond- ence relating thereto should be addressed there. We plan to send out reply postal cards bi-monthly to the local groups listed. Please reply immediately upon receipt. THE E. A. N. A. CONGRESS, NEW YORK. "LA DISERVO" One of the many ways in which the adaptability of Esperanto can be shown is the "Diservo" or religious exercises that form an es- sential part of any "Kongreso." Sunday, Aug. 25th was the last day of our recent gathering in New York and most of the out-of-town members and many of the New Yorkers accepted the invitation of the Bahai to attend service in their reading room. The whole of the service was in Esperanto. Miss Lincoln read a number of selections from the writings of the founder of the denomination (Baha U. 'llah). The chief feature of the occasion was the address by Mr. Morton, who is as good a Bahai.as he is an Esperantist and that is saying a great deal. He explained the lofty spiritual purpose of the Bahai phil- osophy and showed its harmony with the best and holiest aims and ideals of all creeds. Especially did he call attention to the fact that one tenet of the faith was a belief in an international tongue as an im- portant aid in world-brotherhood, and that the present leader has re- peatedly urged his followers to study and spread Esperanto in all countries of the world. Mr. Powell closed with a few remarks con- cerning the opportunity which we Esperantists have in working with a body of earnest men and women whose ideals, no matter what our creeds may be, are so nearly like our own. THE PUBLIC PROPAGANDA MEETING No Congress is ever complete without its Public Meeting, and the recent gathering of the E. A. N. A. had its affair of this kind on Thursday evening, July 22nd. Miss Cora L. Butler,.President of the local Society occupied the chair and introduced the speakers. Mr. Payson head of the Association dwelt upon the need of an interna- tional language for the commerce and culture of the world. Mr. Hetzell showed the insufficiency of Latin as a modern vehicle of thought and he pointed out how admirably Esperanto met the condi- tions which civilization imposes. In commerce especially there is a wonderful field for Esperanto; this topic was discussed by Mr. Mor- ton, who asserted that already business men are appreciating the.ad- vantages of the international language. Mrs. Storer treated the sub- ject from the educational standpoint and Mr. Lee from the point of view of the lexicographer. Concluding the symposium, Mr. Klajin demonstrated the superiority of Esperanto over the so-called "nat- ural languages" from the standpoint of logic, flexibility, and ease of learning. Several reporters were present and the meeting was given generous space in the papers of the following morning. H. W. HETZEL. Digitized by CjOOQIC 16 AMERIKA ESPERANTISTO INTERNATIONALISM has triumiihed. Whether it he League, or Association, or Balance of l'nwer, Internationalism is here. There is no national boundary to Travel, Business, Education, or the Problems of Labor. The necessary meetings with those of other lands, the requisite correspondence, every phase of Internationalism cries out for a com- mon, auxiliary tongue. That, too, is here, a Fact, not a Theory, in ESPERANTO Esperanto is already in extensive use in Trade and Travel; in Correspondence and at World Conventions. It is even more impor- tant for the forming of a World's Public Opinion, removing race hat- reds and misunderstandings between nations. For the Common Man it is vital, bringing the whole world within his reach—for pleasure, for mutual help, for knowledge, for idealism. It is no secret of the great or costly difficult science. Your children can learn it In One Year of the public school; it will teach them to think straight (logically) and remove the limita- tions of locality and circumstance, give them a fair chance in the united world of the future. If you are interested in .the wonderful achievements of Esper- anto, if you think you or your SCHOOL BOARD, INSTITUTION, ASSOCIATION, ORGANIZATION, or CLUB may be interested in the FACT OF ESPERANTO the ESPERANTO ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA or a Local Group of Esperantists will arrange to have a speaker to tell you all about it, or in what way Esperanto may be useful in your individual INSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES. NOW IS THE TIME TO APPLY: BUT AT YOUR CONVENI- ENCE AT ANY TIME. Address: The Esperanto Office, Pierce Bldg., Copley Sq., Boston, Mass., [Copies of the above page as a propaganda flyer on sale here at 100 for $1.00; 500 or more at .50 per hundred.] Digitized by VjOOQ lC