NEGRO DEBATERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 July 1938, Page 2

NEGRO DEBATERS

ARRIVING HER’E TOMORROW. Messrs James S. Byas and Charles W. Gilton, the two Negro graduates from Le Moyne College, Memphis, Tennessee, who are touring New Zealand in the course of their world tour, will arrive in Masterton tomorrow morning, accompanied by Mr R. S. C. Agar, chairman of the New Zealand University Students’ Association. At noon the visitors will be the guests of Mr H. H. Daniell ( president) and members of the Rotary Club at the weekly luncheon, after which they will proceed to Wairarapa College, where they are to be met by the College Pipe Band. Through the good offices of the local branch of the League of Nations Union and the courtesy of the Principal of the College (Mr G. G. Hancox), the visitors will address the combined pupils of Wairarapa College and other secondary schools in the Assembly Hall. Mr Byas will speak on “Negro Contributions to American Culture,” while Mr Gilton has chosen as his subject “Travels in America.” Prior to the addresses, a civic welcome will be extended by the Mayor of Masterton (Mr T. Jordan), and Mr P. P. Anaru will welcome the visitors on behalf of the Maori people. In the evening the debaters will engage a Masterton team at the Opera House on the subject “That World Peace is Undesirable as well as Impossible,” the visitors having elected to take the affirmative. This is the visitors’ last appearance before sailing for Australia, so that the function should be a notable one. Everywhere they have gone these two talented negroes have captivated their audiences with their ready wit and good natured humour.

Despite the brilliance of the negro team, however, the' debate should by no means be one-sided, for a strong team has been, selected to represent Masterton. Mr J. H. Kemnitz, the leader, received his training in the art of debate at the Otago Boys’ High School and the University of Otago, .where he was for several years a prominent member of the Debating Union. Last year he represented Otago University on a four-months goodwill debate tour of the United States, arranged by the National Student Fedeation of America. Mr J. Dwyer, who is sole teacher at the Hastwell School, is a clever and experienced debater. At the Wellington Training College he received a good grounding in debating, and for the past ten years has been a wellknown local speaker. In 1936 he led the Masterton team which was ■placed second in the Catholic Club’s annual North Island Easter tournament. In addition to the main debate a supplementary programme has been arranged, featuring impromptu speeches —always an enjoyable item —by the negroes and by Messrs E. J. Esler and W. Brady, and songs by Miss Gillian Gooder (soprano), who will render “Ceri-beri-bin” and “Chapel Bells.” The chair will be occupied by the and a vote of thanks to the visitors will be proposed by Mrs T. R. Barrer, president of the local branch of the League of Nations Union. ‘The box plan is now open at W. G. Perry’s, where reservations may be made at no extra charge.