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I X r t 1 dutt] h th u h ff* EDITORIAL PAGE OF LABOR AN TALKS ABOUT MAKE ALL MEN LITERATE Owen's Global Alphabet Can Be Learned in a Day Distinguished Author Explains His Idea in Special Article For “ Labor” ; Hopes to Abolish Poverty and Ignorance ■^/HEN Oklahoma was admitted to the Union In 1907, It sent to Wash ington as one o f its Senators Robert L. Owen, an extraordinarily brilliant gentleman. He soon attained leadership, always taking the prog ressive side of great problems. He voluntarily retired from the Senate in 1925, after serving 18 years. Since then he has lived quietly in Wash ington, but has always retained his interest in worthwhile reforms. Recently he perfected a global phonetic alphabet. It is a breath-taking idea. Senator Owen has been good enough to explain his proposal in an article written for LABOR. It is probably the first exposition of the sub ject presented in any newspaper o f general circulation, and LABOR wel comes the opportunity to place It before-its readers. By R O B E R T L. OWEN Y y iT H a population of 2.200 mil’ ’ lions of people, speaking more than 2.200 languages or dialects, it seems apparent that there should be available a world language so that, through the printed word and over tile radio, they can communicate with each other, with understand ing and intelligence. This objective is immediately pos sible through the use of a mechan ism to which I have devoted thousands of hours within the last three Originator years. The Senate has presented t h e plan i n three Senate d o c u m ents and some of the greatest linguists o f up by a compositor at the keyboard of a monotype, linotype or intertype machine. All Languages With this pattern, all the other leading languages and dialects could be taught in the same manner. Similar books are now being pre pared in Portuguese, Russian and Chinese texts, with others to follow. The entire world can be taught to speak the English language by this system at less than 1 per cent of the daily cost of the United States in this World War. The one grave difficulty, which has prevented foreigners from learning English, is the inherited orthography of our current English, which is extremely difficult for for eigners to correctly pronounce. The global alphabet, being strictly phonetic, saves years of time in learning to read and half the time which it would take to read the same books printed in current Eng lish. It takes, only half the paper to print such books and half the storage and transportation. the world ha v e b e e n good enough to e x p r e s s their ap proval. T h e sup Idea Is Spreading porters of my Within the last two decades the plan are now use of phonetic alphabets In the in co rp o ra t sbolltion of illiteracy lias made enor ing the World mous progress. Over 300 different Language groups now use a phonetic alphabet F ou n da tion fo r educa of their own contrivance for this tional a n d -purpose, because there are people Robert L. Owen c h aritable who, by using their local phonetic purposes as an Instrument through alphabet, can immediately write which those who approve of English and read the local language. as a world language may cooperate. Through the use of phonetic alph For the convenience of readers abets, Russia has abolished illiter of LABOR, I am submitting here acy in the Soviet Republics and has with a chart showing the proposed 'increased the national income and global alphabet—names, sounds and production over 400 per cent. forms. India has done the same tiling Strictly Phonetic under the Laubach plan, using In The global alphabet can be dividual phonetic alphabets. Tur learned in one day. With it every key has achieved the reform by the known language can be printedrc "■adoption of a phonetic alphabet of using the keyboard of a monotype 5 29 letters, and Mexico Is carrying on r j s - „ o s5 * £ Z -C 81 g 3_ sS|S|l2I fli*!2!*2!! * iii nut: Hi JiMl! i«i £ * ll~ f ll ps 2= ■ Si).* S""5 t - 's p S > r« “, S c O ' - u . o < « “ G ^ B T 5 C s o ' fP* t£ - OA? g£ c -a - « 2 r3'III , OS; gg S « u i 0- 5 . a £ Ch 5 G.-0 Jo .e o „ e S o Iffsi$;§3g£"£Xi!f8 sS*|5fS*isJ wifi3;*|g3 fill •-S2 S oj >.U.£t3“ 0 e fc c. - “ ■SSSSa _ *s2zs a s ? c “p * c 5 wcSiS £ CCc * £ g-s S S O .o 2-H £ a >>-C2zlu - o8 h^ Qx iSS l-Ssi slsSSSi i e h |giis : s f ,5 I S S - l l P I * 8 '?-3x “ o'5 ,e^^ Jj?--i,t'E a i : '*o §^ o" *I s5 gg5^ ° “ -S G ‘ u S " “2 S g <st|»w3.si.s§§lc ; u Z S S k H 25=^8 is
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