STUDENTS’ DEBATING VISIT

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 252, 21 July 1934, Page 9

STUDENTS’ DEBATING VISIT

Americans to Tour Dominion WILL SPEAK ON SUBJECTS OF LIVELY INTEREST In the course of an ambitious debating tour throughout the world, two students from the University of Washington will engage students from Victoria University College on the debating platform at Wellington on Saturday, August 4, and Monday, August 6, next. Mention of the forthcoming visit of the American students was made in a Press Association message from Dunedin on Wednesday, but further details of the arrangements have been made available to “The Dominion” by Victoria College authorities. The two visiting debaters are Mr. Robert K. Burns and Mr. Lyle M. Spencer, junior, of the University of Washington. The object of the. tour is to provide the interchange of opinion in the promotion of effective world policy of friendship and goodwill. The tour is sponsored by the University of Washington, with the affiliated sponsorship of the National Student Federation of America, the World Council of Youth, the Student Y.M.C.A. of America, the United States Bureau of Education, the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and the Governments of the city of Seattle and of the State of Washington. Extensive Tour. The tour Is an extensive one, for the two debaters have already visited Hawaii, Japan, Manchuria, China, Philippine Islands (where they Were delayed by sickness), and Australia. They are expected to arrive at Auckland from Sydney by the Mariposa on July 28, and will engage in debate with New Zealand university students at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. From New Zealand they will proceed to' India, South Africa,' Asia Minor, and Europe, before returning to the United States. The first debate in Wellington will be held in the Town Hall, the subject being “That the United States should agree to the cancellation of the interallied war debts-” Victoria College, represented by Messrs. A. H. Scotney and C. M. P. Brown, will take the affirmative, and Washington the negative. The second debate, to be held in the Training College hall, will be on the subject, “That the political salvation of the world lies in dictatorship rather than democracy." Washington will take the affirmative, and Victoria College, for whom Messrs. A. T. S. McGhie and I. D. Campbell will speak, the negative. Both these subjects are highly contentious, and, in particular, the opinions of the American students will doubtless be followed with the keenest of interest. The speakers hope to come into contact with every faction of university life in debate or in discussion, for they are also willing to give lectures on certain subjects. Position in JapanWriting from Japan during the course of the tour, Mr. Spencer said that less than 30 per cent, of the ppllege graduates in Japan had found more than menial jobs during the last four years. He had had the opportunity of meeting a great many students from the principal universities of Japan. Many of them were very radical. More than 30,000, according to police statistics, had been jailed at one time or another since the Manchurian outbreak for Communistic leanings. Mr. Burns, a major student in the economic class 0f x 1933, is manager of the team. He has participated in Varsity debating for three years, and has 'won distinction in a number of intercollegiate forensic contests. He is a member of the Tau Kappa Alpha National Forensic fraternity and a ranking student in economics. This is his second tour around the world, and he was awarded a trip in 1930 as a result of a national competition. Mr. Lyle M. Spencer, secretary of the tour, is a major in philosophy, and has had three years’ experience in in-ter-collegiate debate. A graduate of the class of 1933, he is a member of the Tau Kappa Alpha Forensic Fraternity, Alpa Kappa Deelta Sociology Honorary, Phi Bita Kappa National Scholastic Honorary Fraternity, and has held important editorial posts on the University of Washington Daily, Student Newspaper.