AMERICANS AT SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20562, 13 May 1930, Page 6

AMERICANS AT SCHOOL.

WASHINGTON'S SPELLING BEE

LAWMAKERS AND JOURNALISTS.

[from our own correspondent] NEW YORK, April 16.

Both Houses of Congress and the representatives of the press' at Washington engaged in a spelling bee before a radio audience, with results that would not do credit to a schoolboy of l,i.

Tho "championship" was awarded to fl journalist who, however, couid not spell "referable," which he spelled "refer- , rible" and insist cd lie was right. -Ihe champion of tho House of Representatives came to grief on tho word "kimono," a n « the Senate champion was "frozen out-' when he perpetrated "indignous." The Associated Press correspondent 8°,,.' the "e" and "i" mixed in "sacrilegious, j-.-A New York journalist "achievinent." The Senator responsible; for the law providing for five years un* prison inent and a £2OOO fine for taking a drink was also responsible for 4 car* bureteur." Tho words which led to casual ie among the lawmakers of the United Sta and their chroniclers were:- —Lnieag> olfactory, pernicious, proselyte, °' eo " t !' garine, sarcophagus, obsolete, Lljnff £ prehensile and soubriquet, the later .J spelled "sobriquet" in these P? I'-* 1 '-*- were || is no evidence that the candi . , tested in spelling what many - g the most difficult word in tho language —''consensus. -