Basic, My Dear Winston

In far from Basic English, Winston Churchill gave Basic another boost,* this time in the House of Commons.

Its most eloquent sponsor asked that Basic English be spread worldwide by British propaganda, diplomatic and commercial agents. Said he: "The use of such an auxiliary language would of course be greatly increased by its progressive diffusion."

Quipped a member: Would the Prime Minister have this proposal translated into Basic? Asked a Scotsman: "Will the Prime Minister see that a clear Scottish pronunciation is used and thereby avoid the fluctuating and irritating noises that are generally made by the English?"

The Prime Minister, who is well aware that Basic's 850-word limitations could never contain the drums and tramplings of his oratory, and who makes no bones of the fact that he likes to "give a sentence a chance to breathe," accepted the first suggestion. Then he plunged into a "philosophical disquisition on a hypothetical and conjectural situation"--postwar plans of Parliament.

* Former plugs: a "mighty, fertilizing and health-giving river," "an aid to . . . our new structure for preserving peace." "a medium, albeit primitive, of intercourse and understanding"

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.