1903年の『The Japan Times』その②1903.9.30

9.27に掲載された編集部による前記事「Eperanto」に対する反論。
1903.9.30, p.6 J. Doorn「A Plea for "Esperanto"」（[i.e. ]は補記した）

To The Editor of the Japan Times
Sir, --I am very sorry to see in your esteemed paper of to-day, an article ridiculing the auxiliary language "Esperanto" or "La Lingvo Internacia," and you might not be aware that there are many adherents to this language her in far-away Japan, but that is so and they are going very soon to give their attention to the Japanese, for they take kindly to anything new. One enthusiast, a Mr. Hasegawa, is already compiling a complete grammar for the use of Japanese. The fact which you mention in your article, that a party of English adherents, while visiting France, were heartily welcomed by their friends shows that it is very useful. An Englishman studying French for a number of years will have a busy time understanding a rattling Frenchman, and we see daily that Japanese students of English are unable to understand or make themselves understood to Britons or Americans, but any intelligent person studying the "Internacia" for two weeks will have no difficulty in conversing with another person who has been studying it, be the Russian, Italian, or Japanese. Even the Chinese take it up easier than "pidgin English". It is no intended to replace one's own language, but is an easy auxiliary ad will facilitate the study of other foreign languages. If the soldiers in Peking belonging to the different legation, knew it, there would surely be less fighting there.
There are no expenses attached to it, except the small optional amount of 40 centimes, or 16 sen, per year, for a directory, to enable to correspond with all countries on the globe with other Esperantists. It is claimed that, it is the best means to satisfy all parties concerned. Those who have not studied it, think it is pronounced very hard, because they pronounce it in their own peculiar way, English-like, Russian-like or as they would pronounce their own alphabet, but to satisfy all parties, it could not be spoken like English, nor like French, but for those know it it sounds quite soft. Try to get a Frenchman to read English fluently without omitting the multitude of dead letters, and you will hear something nice. Also it is for those who look on "Esperanto" with prejudice and who know nothing about it that, if I am not too much encroaching on your space, I would like to give the shortest outline of the grammar, composed by the author, Dr. L. Zamenhof of Warsaw, who devoted many years to compiling it. He simplified the grammar to the utmost, and while, on the one hand, he carried bis object in the spirit of the existing modern languages, in order to make the study as free from difficulties as possible ; on the other hand, he did not deprive it of clearness, exactness and flexibility.
His whole grammar can be learned in one hour, He established rules for the formation of new words, at the same time reducing to a very small compass the list of words absolutely necessary to be learned. Thanks to the possibility of forming from one rootword any number of compounds, expressive of ever conceivable. shade of idea, it is the richest of modern tongues. This is accomplished by the introduction of about 50 prefixes and suffixes by whose aid student is enabled to create new word for himself.
Prefix mal denotes the opposite of any idea : i.e., bona, good, .malbona, evil.
Prefix dis denotes separation and diseminattion : i.e., semi, to sow, to diseminate.
Prefix re denotes again, back : i.e., doni, to give, redoni, return.
Suffix in denotes the feminine gender : i.e., bovo, bull, bovino, cow.
Suffix il denotes the instrument by which something is done : i.e., kombi, to comb, kombilo, a comb.
Suffix ad denotes the continuation of an action : i.e., instrui, to instruct, instruado, instruction.
Suffix aj [i.e. aĵ] denotes the quality of what is mentioned : mola, soft, molajo [i.e. molaĵo], a soft thing.
Suffix an denotes a member or partisan : Ameriko. America, Amerikano, an American citizen.
Suffix ar denotes a collection of the thing mentioned : worto[vorto], a word, wortaro [i.e. vortaro], a dictionnry.
Suffix ebl denotes possibility : legi, to read, legebla, legible.
Suffix ech [i.e. ec] denotes an abstract quality : amiiko, a friend, amiikecho[amikoeco], friendliness.
Suffix eg denotes enlargement or intensity of degree : warma[varma], warm, warmega[varmega], hot.
Suffix ej denotes the place where an action occurs : lerni, to learn, lernejo, (lerneyo) a school.
Suflix er denotes one object of a collection : mono, money, monero, a coin.
Suffix et denotes diminution of degree : birdo, a bird, birdeto, a little bird.
Suffixes i, o, a, e, as, is, os, us, u, int, as follows : ami, to love ; amo, love ; ama, loving ; ame, lovingly ; amas, I love ; amis, I loved ; amos, will love ; amus, should love ; amu, (imperative) love ; aminto, lover ; etc. etc. The pronunciation is as follows :
a as in far,
e as in obey,
i as in machine,
o as in so,
u as in rule,
c as in Tsar,
ĉ in church.
j as in yes
ĵ as in azure,
ŝ as in she,
v̂ [i.e. ŭ] as in w, all other letters as in English.
Dear Mr. Editor, hoping that I have not gone too far and that you will be able to find a place for same in your much read paper, and thanking you sincerely for your kindness in giving us a show, altho' we are but few in number as yet, (some 180,000),
I remain, Dear Sir,
Yours Respectfully,
J. DOORN,
Registered Esperantist No. 7925.
Yokohama, Sept. 27, 1901 [i.e. 1903].

[The fact that our playful rap at "Esperanto" should have inspired a disciple of that upto-dato language in this far corner of the world to champion its cause, certainly almost sufficient to make us reconsider our former verdict (which was perhaps rather dictated by esthetic, than by utilitarian, motives), and to admit that Esperanto may after all have a brighter future than Volapuk. At least the acquisition of the new tongue can do no harm and may possibly do some good. We thank our correspondent for the trouble he has taken.-- ED. J. T.]

1903年9月27日の嘲笑的な記事を読んで、すぐさま反論の筆を執ったのだろう、同日付けとなっている。
最後には編集部からのコメントも加えられているが、といあえずの返答で本気でエスペラントに対する考えをあらためたとは思えない。

Mr. Hasegawa は二葉亭四迷（本名：長谷川辰之助）のこと。『Adoresaro. Serio23』の新刊書欄に、未刊にもかかわらず155番として"Hasegavo ( kaj Postnikov ) . Lernolibro de Esperanto por Japonoj (en preparado) "と掲載されたのを見てのことだろう。ただ、実際に『世界語』として出版されたのはずっと遅れて1906年。

そして、この文を寄せた「J. Doorn」という人物について。
番号7925は『Adresaro de la Esperantistoj. Serio XXIV』に「J. Van Doorn」として載っている。日本在住者としては、7383のミスレル（Alphonse MISTLER, 1873-1953）の次に若い番号。

また、以前に紹介したが『The Esperantist』No.9 (1904.7)に、「ESPERANTO EN JAPONUJO」を寄稿しているのと、『Jarlibro esperantista por 1906』には「Japan Gazette」のkaluculistとある。

なお、
『Le Maître phonétique: organe de l'Association phonétique internationale』 1907.1-2
（国際音声学会の学会誌）
https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=Dww8AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA4-PA28
にも、日本の会員としてGauntlettとDoornの名がある。
この二人にエスペランティスとして直接のつながりがあったかは不明。

エスペラントに関して見つかった情報は以上のみ。

人物としての情報は、Directory類(*)に名前が出ているのと、
息子のTed Van Doornが自身の回顧録『Ted Van Doorn: a Memoir』（John Spiers Company, 2010）
https://archive.org/details/tedvandoornmemoi00tedv/page/n3/mode/2up
https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=huK0ruzgR5wC&pg=PA22
を出版しており、その中で父、J. van Doornについても書かれている。

これらを総合すると、経歴は以下の通り。

J. van Doorn（本名：Johannes Hendrik Sanders van Doorn）
1874年5月8日 オランダ・ハーグ生まれ　
1885年 ルーテル孤児院に入れられる
1890年 ライデンの海事学校に入学、16歳で商船隊に加入
　　　その後、木材伐採人・鉱夫としてカナダへ
1892年 東南アジアへ向かう船が、日本付近で嵐に遭い東京湾へ寄港
　　　日本に魅かれ横浜に残ることに。
1900年頃 「Martin & Co」で働く
1905年頃～「The Japan Gazette」で会計士として働く
1914年頃～ 加えて午前は「Yokohama General Hospital」でも Business Managerとして働く
1919年頃～ 加えて「Yokohama Subscription Library」の会計を務める
1923年10月 関東大震災に遭い、神戸へ避難
1925年頃～ 「A. Camaron & Co., Ltd」で働く
1936年1月　没　

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(*)『The Japan directory for Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagasaki, Nagoya, Nemuro, Kushiro, Otaru, Niigata, Hakodate, Sapporo, Moji, Shimonoseki and Formosa 1900』（Japan Gazette, 1900）
https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1699689/1/115
など。国会デジタルでは途中抜けていて確認できていない年もあるが、1930年版までは名前が載っている。なお、『Ted Van Doorn: a Memoir』によると、確認できた最古は1893年版の『the Japan Gazette Directory of Foreign Residents and Businesses』とのこと。