COLLEGE v. SCHOOL.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17272, 10 October 1921, Page 3

COLLEGE v. SCHOOL.

FIRST DEBATING CONTEST.

The long-expected debate between Christ's College and Boys' High School was held in the College Big School, on Saturday evening, before a large audience. College moved: "That the present League of Nations is doomed to be a failure," and School took the negative side of the question. The Rev. E. C. Crosse, headmaster of Christ's College, who presided, welcomed M?G. J. Lancaster, principal of the Boys' High Sohool, and the School team. Professor Shelley acted as judge. S. S. Ick-Hewins opened the debate for College, and dealt with the impossibility on the part of the_ League of Nations to stop war. W. W. Brassington replied, and stated that the League intended not- only to abolish, war, but to quell economic disturbance. The League had already done a certain amount of good, but even if it only managed to stop one epidemic, or quell one strike, it could not be iv failure. S. R. Watson (College) spoke on the i'ailur© of former leagues, such as tko Holy Alliance, which was imbued with the same spirit as the present one. F. J. Jacobs replied with a good speech, in which he extolled the principles of the League. R. C. Gerard (College) ~ enlarged .. on the position of representation on it, and asked if it-was intended that Great Britain should be dictated to by the representatives of Nicaragua or China. D. Haberfield (School) admitted that the League was not perfect, but it was the morning star which would guide the world from' the paths of war to those of righteousness. T. O'ltorke (College) said that the League was doomed to failure, as only England was disarming. C. L. King (School) replied to the arguments of the opponents. Brassington, in summing up, said that the former leagues had been between monarchy, and not between representatives of the/ people. The main Powers were disarming, and not only England, as had 'been stated. Ick-Hewins said that the League had failed in some of its objects, and therefore was a failure, and there was no reason for supposing that it would succeed in the future.

Professor Shelley then pointed out the faults of the speakers, and said he was very surprised' at the high standard of delivery. Emphasis and a gradual working up to a climax had' been neglected by all except They should remember that it was emotion, i and not argument that carried a debate. Considering everything, there was not a tremendous difference between the two sides, but what difference there was lay on the side of Boys' High School. (Applause.) The Rat. E. C. Crosse thanked Professor Shelley for the time and thought he had: given the debate. Mr Lancaster said that he hoped the debate would be an annual occurrence, and that it would prove as big a success and create as much interest as the football match. The debate concluded by an exchange of cheers by College and School.

A Tokyo message dated September 26th, to tho Australian papers states: — The Japanese naval launchings, which will take place within the nest 60 days, include the destroyer Waribi, on Wednesday, the supply ship Burume on Thursday, the destroyer Sumire on October 17th, the light cruiser Isuzi and the gunboat Nakoso during October, the seaplano carrier Hosho (the first built in Japan) on October 24th, and the super-Dreadnought Kaga <39,900 tons displacement) on November ,17th. Other ' warships'' which; are ,well- ; ■ completion, include .the battleship Mutau, the "tight ■ cruisers and Sara,? three firsit-cmsij'dertroyfet«,'aiifl nine subm&r'infes." • V: "V