easure or profit by means of
Esperanto alone, and finding everywhere helpful hints and congenial
surroundings in the local Esperanto groups.
In addition to the U.E.A. there is an international Esperanto society
for the propaganda of the language; this has its world center at 51 Rue
de Clichy, Paris, France, and powerful national societies in France (240
branches), in England (118 branches), in Germany (over 250 branches),
etc.
(4) I should, however, add, in justice to the American people,
that wherever Esperanto has been brought to their notice by press
or platform it has been well received. I have myself lectured to
large and sympathetic audiences in Chautauqua, Buffalo, New York,
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington. Public schools, high schools,
and universities have frequently opened their doors to Esperanto, and
in my own case the University of Pennsylvania and the University of
Columbia have shown their open-mindedness to the extent of engaging a
paid lecturer for a prolonged course.
So has the Department of Education of the city of New York.
In the Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C., a considerable number of
scientists have declared in favor of Esperanto, and are adepts of the
language.
My experience is that in this country the informed public warmly
approves of Esperanto and the ideals it stands for, but expects
the spread of the language to come through the schools. There is
consequently in this country a special inertia in this matter, in spite
of approval; this makes organised propaganda extremely difficult in such
a vast territory.
Accordingly the national organization, the E.A.N.A. (Esperanto
Association of North America), central offices, Newton Center, Mass.,
has so far had but a checkered and precarious existence.
A rival society, the U.S.E.A. (United States Esperanto Association) has
its headquarters at Shaller, Iowa.
(5) If I were asked how Esperanto could best be introduced into the
schools, I should suggest that a limited course of lecture lessons,
say, from 6 to 12, to the teachers would suffice to give them all that
is necessary to enable them to practice the language until complete
proficiency is attained. In many places there is even now a supply of
local Esperantists ready to cooperate with the schools.
After a month's study any teacher should be able to teach others and
perfect himself in the process. At that I would teach the language only
to the pupils in their las
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