AMERICAN DEBATERS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 151, 29 June 1931, Page 11

AMERICAN DEBATERS

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

NEW ZEALAND TOUR

Three representatives of the University of Oregon, Messrs. E. T. Miller (Pcndloton), E. A. Pfaff (Eugene), and D. G. Wilson (Portland), arrived in Wellington by the Maunganui from San Francisco this morning. This is their first stop on a debating tour, which will cover about 35,000 miles. The men were selected by a faculty committee from a large number of applicants. . Speaking to a "Post" representative to-day, Mr. Wilson,, who is conducting the publicity arrangements of the tour, said that it is the second international forensic project undertaken by students of the Oregon Univorsity in recent years. In 1927 a team of three men travelled around the world, debating in Japan, China, the Philippines, India, Europe, England, and Scotland. . ■ - Nine speaking and debating engagements are scheduled in various towns of New Zealand. The party .will visit the principal, cities of Australia, Colombo, Bombay, Allahabad, Calcutta, Singapore, Bangkok, Manila, Hong Kong, Canton, Amoy, Fooehow, Shanghai, Tientsin, Peiping, Seoul, Yokohama, Osaka, Tokio, Honolulu, and Vancouver, before returning to their studies at Eugene in January, 1932. AMBASSADORS OF FRIENDSHIP. "The tour has. tho support and cooporation of such organisations as the Carnegie Foundation for International Peace, The National Student Foderation of America, The Pan-American Union, and the United States Bureau of Education," said Mr. Wilson. Mr. J. L. Meier, Governor of Oregon, and Mr. G. L. Baker, Mayor of Portland, have taken an active personal interest in the project, and have given the team official letters appointing them ambassadors of friendship and goodwill to the schools and the countries they visit."

The team will remain in New Zealand until 19th July. HIGH SCHOLARSHIP AVERAGES. All three members of the team have maintained unusually high scholarship averages during their three years in the university, and have engaged extensively in the extra-curricular activities which form a largo part of student life in American schools and colleges. Messrs. Miller and Pfaff are both members of Deltal Sigma Eho, and international forensic fraternity, and have participated in inter-collegiate debates, oratory, and extempore speaking for two years. Mr. Wilson's, major study is journalism. In 1926 he attended the Assembly of the League of Nations at Geneva, baying won the European trip as first prize in a nation-wide student essay contest. . • Engagements for the team have been made in Wellington, Dunedin, Christchurch, Gore, Nelson, and Hastings. SUBJECTS FOR DEBATE. The following are five of the subjects the team will debate on, the visitors taking the side indicated in parentheses: —"Resolved, that the world has more to fear than to hope from the further development of the Machine" (negative). "That the nations of the world should adopt a policy of complete disarmament except for such forces as are necessary for police protection" (negative). "That existing tariff barriers are an important causo of the present economic depression" (negative). "That the cause of peace demands the entrance of the United States into the League of Nations" (negative). "That English should become the international languago" (affirmative). Mr. Wilson said that, in each case the Oregon team had selected the side which it felt that its opposing teams would rather .not have, and its selection did not indicate profound conviction on one side of tho argument. . ' '.. , '

To-morrow night at the Teachors' Training College the team will take the negative side of the. following subject: "Eesolved, that this audience disapproves of the'rising, generation.". The opposing ieajri will represent the Training College...' ; \