Rosenberger to Peano
Idiom Neutral
14/27 mars 1909.
A s. prof. G. Peano in Turin
S. direktor estimed!
Ko gaudi grand mi av resived votr kart postal[1] d. 22 mars ko avis bon, ke Akademi Int. de L. U. rekomensero labori. — Mi ekspekt ko interes grand votr Vocabulario e mi mersi avanse pro mitasion de it.
Mi salut ko gaudi nominasion de sekretar-kaser nov, prof. G. Pagliano. a
Ko plesir mi es parat sukursar vo keloke mi potes.
Da diurni po apomitasion de votr kart d. 22 III, vo resivav mie letr rekomended ko budget proyekted. Mi komunikav ist budget et a s. de Wahl, da kel mi av resived sidiurne letr d. 12 mars, in kel il skrib:
Ke budget satisfakt il generale.[a]
Il netruv spendi pro kuverti, postmarki, e.s. — Mi pens, ke ist spendi demandero s. 50 franki, keli plugrandifikero defisit.
Il interog eske kontribuadi de akademiani no potes esar plugrandifiked. Mi pens, ke it es neposibl, kause statuti indik 10 franki. Kontribuad de membri korespondanti e de abonenti[2] potes esar plu grand — ma on deb esar prekautos a no depussar[3] personi prob ma povr. Sine dubi pro augmentasioni libr limiti no eksist.
Ke s. Miller es okuped e ke il no potes resiv akseptar ofis.
Ke nom proposed „Akti de Akademi Internasional de Lingu Universal“ es bon. Il propos ankor „Annali” plasu Akti, ma mi pens, ke ist nom don idé de libr anuik kekos no konven.
Il konsent komensar mediu diurnal no periodik, ma il adyunkt, ke publik prefer periodiki e ke noi av nesisitet de publik e nome de publik mult.
Il pens, ke sekretar deb esar proksimu direktor, ma ke residens konvenabl de kaser es in tel land, in kel, [in kel (sic)] spendi leplu grand (in nostr kasu — imprimasion) avero lok.[b]
Il interog, eske pris de imprimasion no esero plu minim ekstr Rusia. (Mi preg komparar. R.)
Il skrib ankor „Sekuantu titul proposed vo,[c] it sembl a mi, ke vo volu redaktar parti ofisial ya in I. N. reformed; it eserio posible sufise bon ma et sufise nefasil kausu ekslaborasion ankor neperfekt de ist lingu“. — Mi pens, ke in komens parti ofisial deb esar redakted in I. N. klasik, i.e. sekuantu mie diksionar ko sie suplement de 1906, konform a resolusioni de Akademi.[d]— usk [ke] Akademi akseptero lingu plu bon, kekos deb esar efektued tale pobreve kuale posibl.
Sidiurne mi esav in tipografia de Academi[4] Imperial de Sienti (keloke „Progres“ esav imprimed) e mi aprendav, ke prisi de Progres debero restar, if po komposasion mutasioni no esero fasied. — Mi deb fasiar korektur[5] de mie kalkulasion. Fasikl de 1 foli total (16 pagini) kostero: Komp. — 33 r. 40 k., Imprimasion — 3 r., Papir — 150 k e broshurasion — 130 k = 39 r 20 k. = 104 fr 53 s., ma no 120 franki, kuale mi av kalkuled. Diferens esero 4(120 — 104,5) = 62 franki pro anu favoru Akad.
Mi atend votr resolusioni e komandi e mi rest ko saluti respektos votr serv leplu devot.
Rosenberger
Mi mit in banderol rekomanded (sic) koleksion de mie 45 sirkulari, ekseptu numri 7 e 8, keli no plu eksist e „glamat nomik.” R.
_______
[a] It es klar, ke il konsent redaktar parti neofisial.
[b] Mi av skribed a il, ke kausu ist sem motiv, il eserio posible kaser leplu konvenabl.
[c] Mi av skribed a il in I. N. reformed: Acti d. A. loku „Akti de Akademi Internasional de Lingu Universal.”
[d] i.e., lingu, in kel mi av redakted mie diurnal Progres.
Lingu anglik
14/27 March 1909
To prof. G. Peano in Turin
Esteemed director!
With great joy I have received your postcard dated 22 March with good tidings that the International Academy of the Universal Language will recommence its labours. — I await with great interest your Vocabulario and I thank you in advance for sending it.
I welcome with joy the nomination of the new secretary-treasurer, prof. G. Pagliano.
With pleasure I am ready to help you where I can.
Days after the sending of your postcard dated 22 III, you received my registered letter with the planned budget. I communicated this budget to Mr. de Wahl also, from whom I have received a letter today dated 12 March, in which he writes:
That the budget satisfies him in general.[a]
He is not finding expenses for envelopes, stamps, etc. — I think these expenses will demand c. 50 Franks, which will increase the deficit.
He asks whether the contributions of the academicians cannot be increased. I don't think it's possible because the statutes indicate 10 Franks. The contribution of corresponding members and subscribers can be larger — but one must be cautious not to push away diligent but poor persons. Without a doubt, for unfettered increases, the limits do not exist.
That Mr. Miller is busy and that he cannot accept the office.
That the proposed name “Acts of the International Academy of the Universal Language” is good. In addition, he proposes “Annali” instead of “Akti”, but I think that this name gives the idea of a year book, which is not fitting.
He agrees to start with a nonperiodic journal, but he adds that the public prefers periodicals and that we need the public, a lot of the public, at that.
He thinks that the secretary should be near to the director, but that the appropriate residence of the treasurer is in the country in which the largest expenditure (in our case — printing) will be made.[b]
He asks whether the price of printing will not be less outside of Russia. (I ask you to compare. R.)
He writes in addition: “Following the title proposed [by] you,[c] it seems to me that you already wish to edit the official part in reformed Idiom Neutral; it would possibly be quite good but also quite difficult because of the still imperfect development of this language.” — I think that in the beginning, the official part should be edited in classic Idiom Neutral, i.e. according to my dictionary with its 1906 supplement, consistent with the resolutions of the Academy.[d] — Until the Academy accepts a better language, which should be done as soon as possible.
Today I was in the printer's office of the Imperial Academy of Sciences (where Progres was printed) and I learned that the prices of Progres ought to remain the same if changes are not made after composition. — I must make a correction to my calculation. A fascicle of one whole folio (16 pages) will cost: Comp. — 33 rubles 40 kopeks, Printing — 3 rubles, Paper — 150 kopeks and stitching — 130 kopeks = 39 rubles 20 kopeks. = 104 Franks 53 centimes., but not 120 Franks, as I have calculated. Difference will be 4(120 — 104,5) = 62 Franks per year in favour of the Academy.
I await your resolutions and commands and I rest with respectful salutations your most devoted servant.
Rosenberger
I am sending in the (rekomanded) banderole a collection of my 45 circulars, except numbers 7 and 8, which no longer exist and “glamat nomik” (Volapük: the standard grammar). R.
_______
[a] It is clear that he agrees to edit the unofficial part.
[b] I have written to him that because of the same reason, he would possibly be the most suitable treasurer.
[c] I have written to him in reformed Idiom Neutral: “Acti d. A.” instead of “Akti de Akademi Internasional de Lingu Universal.”
[d] i.e., the language in which I have edited my journal Progres.
Notes:
[1] Postal seems to be a more international variant of postik.
[2] The form abonent (“subscriber”) is not attested in the 1902 dictionary, where it rather appears as abonant. In Reform-Neutral (1912), it comes to be written abonnent.
[3] Depussar is the Reform-Neutral spelling of Idiom Neutral's depusar.
[4] Academi is the Reform-Neutral spelling of Idiom Neutral's akademi.
[5] Korektur is not attested in the 1902 dictionary; however, correctur is a noun derived from the Reform-Neutral verb corrigiar through the suffix -ur (which takes over some of the functions of the suffix -ad in Idiom Neutral). In the Idiom Neutral of 1902, “correction” would be korigasion or koreksion (or possibly, though nowhere attested, korektad for an individual correction).
