NEGRO DEBATERS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 241, 8 July 1938, Page 8

NEGRO DEBATERS

Yesterday’s Wellington Visi| A FULL PROGRAMME

An improvement in rhe relationship existing between various races in the

United States of America was referred to yesterday by Professor B. G. Alexander, of Le Moyne College, Memphis, Tennessee, manager of the American negro debating team which, is now touring New Zealand. The team was in Wellington yesterday and left for the South Island last night.

Speaking at a luncheon yesterday of the Optimists’ Club of the Wellington Y.M.C.A., at which the two negro debaters, Messrs. J. S. Byas and C. W. Gilton, were guests, Professor Alexander, who was born in Russia and naturalised in America, said he had the honour to be the first debating coach to arrange an inter-racial debate south of the Mason-Dixon line. “This was proof positive,” Professor Alexander added, “that relations among the different races of the United States were improving steadily and greatly. Only two other universities, Washington and Oregon, said Professor Alexander, had previously sent debating teams to Australia and New Zealand, and the visiting team was the first of its kind to debate outside the United States. Very few people realised the extent to which the American negro race had developed in the past 70 years. To-day, negroes could proudly say that they could not only sing and run, but could also think. A considerable benefit would be gained from the present tour, not only by the debaters participating, but also by students at Memphis and in other parts of the United States. Following a debate at the Massey Agricultural College on Wednesday night, the team arrived at Wellington from Palmerston North yesterday morning. The party is touring New Zealand under the auspices of the New Zealand University Students' Association, and was accompanied yesterday by the organiser, Mr. J. B. Aimers. The visitors were met at the Wellington railway station by representatives of the students’ association, Messrs. R. S. C. Agar, chairman, F. D. Christensen, secretary, R. S. V. Simpson and L. W. Gandar. They were later entertained at morning tea by Professor T. A. Hunter, principal of Victoria University College, and Professor F. F. Miles The debaters also visited Rongotai College, where they addressed the boys. Mr. H. E.’ Brooker presided at the Optimists’ Club luncheon, and included among the guests was Mr. L. C. Pinkerton, Consul-General of the United States. Gatherings later in the day included afternoon tea with the Minister of Education, Hon. P. Fraser, and a gathering of secondary school children which was addressed by the debaters in the concert chamber of the

Wellington Town Hall. Professor Alexander and his party are due back at Wellington on J%ly 20. ADDRESS TO COLLEGE PUPILS Life Of Famous Negro Scientist

Addressing pupils of the Wellington and Technical Colleges in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall yesterday afternoon, Professor B. G. Alexander, manager of the visiting American negro debating team, gave a brief history of Le Moyne College, from which the party had come, and told how it had developed from small beginnings as a school on the shores of the mighty Mississippi to be a degree-conferring college. When he first went to the college in 1930 it was his first experience of the southern States, and he was amazed to find two orders of society growing and living side by side without any social contacts whatsoever. It was in order to try to bring about a different order of things that he thought of the debate as the instrument. He spoke of the first venture of the Le Moyne students in debate against a northern college, and of the representatives of other colleges visiting Memphis to debate against the Le Moyne students. The project grew until they went as far afield as California to try their students against those of the universities of that State. Then he had proposed to the president of the Le Moyne College a round-the-world tour, but that had not been possible because of the money involved. However, they had been able to respond to the invitations from New Zealand and Australia. He wished to say jiow delighted they had been with the kindly reception and great hospitality they had received from the warm-hearted people of New Zealand.

Mr. J. S. Byas, a member of the debating team, spoke on “Negro Influence on the Culture of America.” Seeking figures to illustrate negroes of learning who advanced the culture of the nation, he mentioned George Washington Carver, born of slave parents, who had risen to be one of the foremost scientists in the world, who had become a teacher at the Tuskegee Institute and director of the Department of Agricultural Research. He was noted for his research work with the peanut and the potato, and the extraordinary number of products which he had evolved from both. The speaker referred to the number of peanut products as some 250, and those from the potato as 200.

From his research work had come the peanut oil therapy treatment, which the scientist had discovered accidentally and which had been effective in so many cases of Infantile paralysis. Reference was also made to Carver’s fame as an artist. He not only discovered a famous blue colour from certain clays, but was also able to use colour, not with brushes, but with his thumb; yet such was his art that a request had been made for permission to hang one of the paintings in the Luxemburg Gallery, Paris, after his death. Carver was indifferent to money. He lived only for his work

and the benefit he could confer on mankind.

Mr. Byas mentioned other negro scientists, and made special reference to Paul Robeson in the world of music as one of the foremost baritones living, one who had become famous on the stage, the screen, on the air and the concert platform. His scholastic career had been brilliant, and Robeson was the first negro to qualify for the AllAmerican football team. Mr. Gilton, whose sense of humour pleased his hearers, spoke on travel in America. The speakers were heartily applauded at the conclusion of their addresses.