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The Spike or Victoria College Review October 1928

Visit of American Debating Team

page 5

Visit of American Debating Team

The visit of the team of three debaters from Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, will long be remembered by all those who were fortunate enough to meet these American cousins of ours. Touring debating teams are no novelty in these days, but when the team consists of three thoroughly good fellows whom one can lake to one s heart and one s home, there is a novelty indeed. Although their home State is reputed to be one of the most English of American states, there was considerable speculation as to how three full-blooded "Yanks" should be treated; yet before one had spoken to them for a quarter of an hour it was difficult to imagine that they were not some fellow students from a New Zealand college dropped in to 'have a yarn.' The contrast of reality with expectation was made all the more marked by our experience of the almost brutal stand-offishness of the English teams which have visited us. It is perhaps significant that an account of their visit should seem naturally to commence with personalities, and not with speeches. As speakers, they have an easy and natural manner, a ready command of language, and a pleasing light touch, but did not prove such masters of the debate as did their English predecessors.

There were at least fifteen hundred people present to hear the visitors defend the cause of Prohibition against a team from Victoria. Professor Murphy was in the chair, and, in his usual self effacing way gave the unavoidable absence of the Mayor as his reason for occupying that position, but in actual fact the Professor was not by any means a second choice.

The Bates College Team (Messrs. C. H. Guptill, J. F. Davis and M. L. Ames) had the inestimable advantage of a first hand knowledge of their subject, and showed themselves able and ready to deal with the many unofficial members of the Victoria Team who were sitting at the back of the hall. This was greatly lo their credit as they subsequently mentioned that interjection during a speech is simply 'not done' in America. The local men (Messrs. G. R. Powles, C. H. Arndt and W. J. Hall) were not completely overshadowed by their American opponents, and certainly upheld the credit of the College. They dealt with the subject in the good old heavy Victorian style, but on occasions managed to catch some of the blithe Guptillian spirit and make some excellent points of humour.

The Americans stayed in Wellington for several days and were entertained by the University Club, by Professor Murphv, and bv formal and informal gatherings of students.

They are now continuing their ambassadorship in South Africa, and will eventually go to England. Good luck to you—Charles, John and Mervyn!