Evening star., 1907-06-29
MAKE GREAT STRIDES
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIvER-
sITY STUDENTS IN DEBATE.

the institution that in the matter Of debat-
ing the George Washington University has
taken great strides in the last two or three
years. The victory Of the George Washing
| ton University over Syracuse University
during commencement week, in a debate
| on the subject Of immigration, places the
| local university among the very first in the
country in that line. The University OF
Wisconsin, In the west. and Harvard Uni
| versity, in the extreme east, possess records
| which closely parallel that Of the Washing
! ton institution.
| In the past four years the George Wash
| ington University has sent out ten intercol-
legiate debating teams. and Of these ten,
nine have vanquished their opponents. The
only defeat during this period was that
inflicted by the University of Virginia three
only victory for Virginia over George
Washington in the four debates which have
been held between the two institutions.
During the past four years the debaters
defeated Georgetown University twice. Vir.
ginia twice. the University Of Cincinnati
twice. the University Of North Carolina
once, Syracuse University once and Wash
tory over Syracuse was the seventh con-
secutive victory in two and one-half aca-
demic years. OF particular importance was
the defeat Of the crack team from the Uni
cause North Carolina enjoys remarkable
reputation in debating, having repeatedly
vanquished the University of Georgia, Johns
Hopkins University and the University Of
Virginia.
Closely approaching the remarkable rec
ord of nine victories out of ten debates,
held by the local university, Is Harvard 8
record of thirteen victories over Yale out of
eighteen detntes between these two rivals
and of ten victories over Princeton out OF
thirteen contests between these two uni.
versities. In the west, the University OF
Wisconsin holds a somewhat similar posi-
tion in debating.
Success of Local University.
The work Of the George Washington Uni
versity in forensics is attributable very
largely to the training in debating provided
by Prof. C. w. A. Veditz, acting dean Of
the college Of political sciences, who has
coached seven teams representing the uni
versity since coming here, and who enjoys
the extraordinary distinction OF having
coached eighteen intercollegiate debating
teams, here and elsewhere. of which every
one has been victorious. Prof Vedltz at
tributes his success as debating coacn 10
what he calls a familiarity with the tricks
of the art THE first requisite for sue
cess" he declares, ''is team work Every
member of a debating team should have a
definite part OF the whole argument ana
trying to cover the whole ground and argue
the whole question.
"In base ball." says Prof. Veditz you
don't expect one man to pitch and also to
cover second base, but you divide the work
and let each man look after his share OF It.
The advantage of this division of the work
in debating is apparent long before the
actual debate takes place II enapies eacn
man to focus his attention upon one-third
Of the subject-if there are three debaters-
instead Of trying to read up on the whole
question. This plan makes 1t possible for
l.. til f,,1 Nf do ,oa
and information on that particular share of
the question which Is intrusted to him, and
he Is therefore apt to go into the contest
better equipped than his adversary, for the
same reason that the specialist Is always
better than the general practitioner.
I'm the second place, Insist that my men
shall devote quite as much time to study
fthe opposite side as to study Of their
every conceivable argument which the ad-
versary may possibly advance
Effect Of the Unexpected.
Nothing is more disastrous in a debate
than an unexpected argument. 1t is like a
trick play in foot ball-you are not ready
for it. For this reason we try not only to
be ready for any and every argument which
the other side might advance, but we try
to discover for our own side all the unex-
pected arguments we can get. An indtf-
ferently good argument which is unexpect-
ed and which, therefore, puzzles the other
fellows and takes them off their feet, as 1t
were, is better than ever so good a familiar
argument for which you must know in ad-
vance that they are loaded
Finally, 1 try to impress upon the de-
baters which represent this university that
courteousness toward an adversary is bet
ter than sarcasm and invective; that the
less there Is of mere oratory in debate
the better; that judges who are intelligent
| men will be more moved by facts and by
| logic than BY hot air; that 1t Is wiser to
| drive home vigorously three or four big
strong arguments than to pepper away at
the judges with a long string Of little argu-
ments like birdshot, that may or may not
hit the mark"