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CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO
THE PROPOSED GODE - LAPENNA DEBATE
DR. ALE;q.NDER GODE to FLOYD HARDIN, Sept.26,1962
Dear Mr. Hardin: Thank you for sending me advance proof of your re-
priht of Dr. Lapenna's published in Esperanto. I re-
quest that you publish the following statement and urge that you send
. copies to both Dr. Lapenna and the edi tors of Esperanto.
Dr. Lapenna's assertion that a great deal of nonsense about Esperanto
and the internationl language question in general appears in print can-
not be gainsaid. Much that is published on these subjects is prejudiced,
and we all know that prejudice thrives on lack of information. As for my
claim that the f actual thinness of what is said by certain: opponents of
Esperanto is ,fu1ly equalled by the irrelevancy of the argUm.ents used by
many Esperantists to stop the progress of Interlingua, Dr. Lapenna does
nothing . to improve the situation with his persistence in .criticizing
Interlingua $nd (by implication) me without honestly identifying by name
the objects of his attacks.
i. In t ,he interest of clari ty and the propagation of factUal inf0rmati6n
I herewi th challenge Dr. Lapenna to a public, oral, man-to-man d.ebate.
I urge that he accept this challenge, and I close with the
that we both turn over the matter of the necessary- technical
ment_s t;o a co:rnmittee to be appointed by the edi tors O:f the Inter-
Review and Esperanto. (Dr. Alexander Gode) ..
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' ;
: ,
FLOYD HARDIN to PROFESO:f?_O D"'.'"RO IVO LAPENNA, ct. 31 ;19'62
Dear Profesoro D-ro tapenna: Doubtless. the 50..:page secti.n of. the .ie:.' -<
Review comprising the symposiu:m on the "Schematic versus the N?tuia1:i .. s-.. : '
4

trc:coristructed Languages
11
is now in your hands. :tt was frward_ed : tO
you air mail on October 29.
s you scan the pages of the section you will note Dr ..
Gode of_ New York City, author of Interlingua, has ip.v.i ted :you t'O ,
cipate in an oral debate on the respective merits of Esperanto and
lingua; I sincerely hope that you will be disposed to accept his :Lnvi t .a-
tion and .discuss this important subj ect on a common platform, ei ther: in
the Uni ted States or in Eng-land. I believe that such; ;a debate wuld be
widely d.vertised and bring to the attention of the apathe'tiic IJ?.ia.sses the
present urgent importance of one language for the ' World. In the .event , .- ..
that you consent to engage in this public discussion, please qdvise me
promptly and I will immediately get in touch wi th the Edi to.r .s of Espe-
ranto the plan that Dr. Gode has suggested, provided, t];lat
this p:tocedure meets with your approval.
r have known Dr. Gode for many years and have found him to be a pro-
found as well as a distinguished gentleman. In any public debate,
such as is jSroposed, you can be assured of his observance of the ameni-
ties Of s-lich ' an occasi.ori. and of his respectful consideration of your .
views as publj_cly expressed. (Floyd Hardin) , . . . - .
''i'Hlo oollt l !tlllll! > ( 1!ll\ 1t1 1111J\11ool l '' l''' ''''' ' ''''' !l' o111l l O<l l l!< ol<l ' l' l' O t l tl< l l<Olll1l l l 111 10 1< 10 l ol l l01 ' l0< 1 0l,1l!Ollt > >l> l ll l'' ' '' ' ''' ' 'l l l ' ' '"''' '' ''' ' ' ' '' ' l'' ' ''' '' ' '''' l' l<l l ll lltlll >>tll ' !''''''''' ' '''' l '' ' ' l'1 l l i. t "''"' ' '''' ' ' ' ll ' <' '' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' .'
EDITOR ,-S :'NOTE: All correspondence here reproduced is by wri tten consent
of- those participating. To conserve certain paragraphs not .pert-
inent to the Gode-;:-Lapenna debate are omi tted. FH