Calendar: 1896-1897 Page 79

In France the School of Living Oriental Languages which was founded nearly 100 years ago receives from the State the free use of large building and grant of over £6 000 per annum gratuitous instruction is there given in the chief modern Oriental languages and commercial section has recently been added to it by the Minister of Public Instruction The Imperial Oriental Academy of Vienna has long been of world-wide celebrity and has greatly contributed to the extension of commerce in Austria-Hungary whilst in Berlin the Imperial German School of Living Oriental Languages established year ago upon very important footing has already received considerable development This School is supported by an annual subvention of £3 600 and the tuition there is entirely gratuitous Although the scope of action of the Imperial Institute as defined by its Charter does not embrace the exercise of actual educational functions its governing body has considered that the creation and development of an organisation for providing in the United Kingdom the important aid to the official and commercial sections of the community which is furnished to Continental nations by such establishments as above named might prove work of considerable utility There have existed at University College and at King's College since their foundation Professorships of certain Oriental languages the Indian School of University College on the one hand and the Oriental section of King's College on the other have accomplished useful work in the pre- paration of candidates for the Indian Civil Service and other Government departments by affording facilities for the study of some of the Eastern languages The committee of the Institute having met with cordial response from the councils of the two Colleges to proposal to consolidate the work of this nature now being performed there and to bring it into harmonious working with scheme for affording practical instruction in other important Oriental languages now desire to direct attention to the results of careful consideration of the whole subject by Special Committee appointed by them for that purpose which