NEGRO DEBATERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 June 1938, Page 6

NEGRO DEBATERS

PAYING VISIT TO MASTERTON NEXT MONTH.

When the Aorangi arrives at Auckland on June 27, she will bring two young negro graduates from Le Moyne College, Memphis, Tennessee. Le Moyne is one of America’s outstanding negro colleges, having a particularly fine record in debating and public speaking. The members of the debate squad are James S. Byas (aged 21) and Charles W. Gil ton (aged 22). Accompanying them is their debate coach and manager, Professor Boris Alexander, who is Professor of Economics at Le Moyne. . The visit to this Dominion is being organised by the New Zealand University Students’ Association, which has agreed to include Masterton in the team’s itinerary, and has appointed its representative in Masterton (Mr. J. H. Kemnitz) to make all necessary arrangements. So far as can be ascertained this is the first occasion on which Masterton has been favoured with a visit from an overseas debat-

ing team. The two debaters, and their manager will arrive here by private car before lunch on Thursday, July 21. At 2.15 the_y will address, at the College, the combined pupils of Wairarapa College, Solway College, St. Matthew’s School and St. Bride’s Convent. At 8 there will be held, in the Opera House, a debate against a Masterton team. On Thursday evening last an enthusiastic meeting was held when representatives of the various societies .interested completed preliminary arrangements for the visit. The following societies were represented: Townwomen’s Guild, Women’s Division F.U., Women Teachers’ Association, League of Nations Union, Drama League, Knox Dramatic Club, Labour Party Debating Group, Hibernian Society Debating Circle, Catholic Club, Methodist Bible Class, Toe H, W.E.A., and Optimists’ Club.

The subject chosen for the debate is: "That world peace is undesirable as well as impossible.” With a view to selecting the strongest possible team, a preliminary debate, in which six chosen speakers will participate, is to be held on Friday, July 1. The team to oppose the visitors will be selected after this try-out.