AND PROF. A. CHRISTEN ------------ MARCH 17, 1914 ------------ WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1914 COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SIXTY-THIRD CONGRESS. DUDLEY M. HUGHES, Georgia, Chairman. WILLIAM W. RUCKER, Missouri. JAMES F. BURKE, Pennsylvania. ROBERT L. DOUGHTON, North Carolina. CALEB POWERS, Kentucky. JOHN W. ABERCROMBIE, Alabama. HORACE M. TOWNER, Iowa. J. THOMPSON BAKER, New Jersey. EDMUND PLATT, New York. JOHN R. CLANCY, New York. ALLEN T. TREADWAY, Massachusetts. THOMAS C. THACHER, Massachusetts. SIMEON D. FESS, Ohio. STEPHEN A. HOXWORTH, Illinois. ARTHUR R. RUPLEY, Pennsylvania. James L. Fort, Clerk. ESPERANTO. --------- HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, Tuesday, March 17, 1914 The committee this day met, Hon. Dudley M. Hughes (chairman) presiding. STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD BARTHOLDT, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MISSOURI. Mr. BARTHOLDT. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I do not wish to occupy your time, for the reason that I can be here almost any time, while Prof. Christen has made a special trip from New York for this purpose, and I should like to give him all the time you can afford to devote to this bill. I merely wish to say, in explanation, that I have not, as you will notice, introduced this bill by request; I have assumed responsibility for it personally because I thoroughly believe in it. I first introduced the bill in the shape of a request to the Committee on Education to investigate the subject; that is, as to the practicability and advisability of introducing Esperanto as an auxiliary language in the public schools. That resolution was referred to the Committee on Rules and, of course, I could not get any action in that committee, and for that reason I introduced the bill in its present form, which merely provides that Esperanto be taught as a part of the course of study in the schools of Washington, this being the only jurisdiction we have in the matter of education.