A Meeting in Seventeen Languages

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 2, 1914

A Meeting in Seventeen Languages

As an illustration of what it means to give the message to the mixed multitude crowding our American shores, the closing meeting of the Western Canadian Union Conference furnishes a striking example: "The meeting held Saturday evening at the close of the union conference was a striking variation from the usual order. It was designed to give an insight into existing conditions as regards language in our Western Canadian Union. The program consisted of songs, readings, and addresses in seventeen different languages, none of which were understood by all present, except the first and last songs, which were sung by all. Songs were rendered in German, Russian, Norwegian, and Swedish, and one song was sung in three languages, Bohemian, Servian, and Roumanian. The twenty-third psalm was read in Finnish, Lettish, Esthonian, Hungarian, Spanish, Danish, and Norwegian. Other readings were given in Scotch, French, and Polish. Talks were also given in Spanish and Servian. After each of these selections, a call was made for the number who understood it as rendered, to rise. The following was observed: The number who understood German was 100; Finnish, 1; Esthonian, 1; Russian, 23; Lettish, 1; French, 6; Hungarian, 5; Spanish, 6; Danish and Norwegian, 41; Polish, 9; Swedish, 45; Roumanian, 10; Servian, 21; Bohemian, 23. The evening was both interesting and profitable."