The Washington herald., 1918-03-24
So 80 "a 81 al|aII.z i
WAR TALK.

On entering a lecture hall where
there was to be a discussion Of food
conservation and other matters related
to the war, a veteran speaker at my
side exclaimed: ''Now let Us prepare
for a froSt?"
"why?" someone asked. surveying
the huge audience.
"on account Of the shape of the
hall. There is no intimacy. See that
| skylight up there2 Our voices viii
| have to hIl that wide. open space
and they won't reach the audience.
at any rate. my voice won't Besides,
there are many young people here.
including girls. When they find they
can't hear US they will talk with one
another and with the boys and they
will giggle."
He proved to be only too accurate
prophet. Though he himself usually
drew his audience into close attention
and held them for at least forty min
utes, he could not even bring to-
gether the various elements
1t was painful TO see him struggling,
using his best material, alternating the
loud, dramatic method with the low
fSaSSo SSHSNAAoA sNsiSG OOAh lnchtS-
tive.
When he finished he was dripping
with perspiration. This Is cruelty
to animals" he said. It's worse than
working with the pick and shovel"
We had one genius among US, how
ever. able to meet this situation. He
told funny stories and he kept the
audience bending forward to listen for
quarter of an hour. Then, greatly
TO general regret, he quit.
That's the hardest job I've tackled
| for many a year" he whispered, as he
pressed his handkerchief against his
neck.
There is a kind of applause often
| heard, where there is much talking
that is worse than mere inattention.
With loose hands it registers a dreary
and perfunctory response, clap. clap,
clap 1t is usually associated with
those talks that express correct senti-
ments in an uninteresting way. To
hear it strikes terror into the heart
Of speaker who is used TO winning
his audience. II suggests that he rs
making a failure.
THE audience counts a lot" says a
| lecturer OF my acquaintance who has
had long experience on Chautaugua
circuits III they bring interest they
make it easy. But II they're against
\ you they're like a balky horse"
| Audiences that assemble to hear talk
about the war bring a tremendous
amount Of interest. Where the cSndi-
uons are seasonably good they make
II easy for the speakers.
nd -
good. Even IL they are not the mere
| sight of huge audience is something
Of an inspiration. The moving pic
ture houses that are being extensively
used now for war lectures are rather
alarming with their long, narrow
depths, their absolute lack Of init
macy" But so great is the desire OF
the people in the last rows to hear the
messages sent from Washington that
they listen intently and help to es-
tablish the relation between audiel.ce
and speaker that every speaker feels
and is stimulated by.
One speaker that l have occas sion
10 hear repeatedly Of late is a master
at getting applause. He calls IL forth
In Volleys. He has even succeeded in
winning cheers His method is ve-s
: simple For the most part he talks
I quietly. Every now and then, how
ever, he bTusts into ferT id oratOry.
| each burst ending with some such
declaration as. We're in this war %
I win We've got the biggest job on
/ our hands that airy country has ever
faced and We are gong 10 get away
with it," and When the Germans get
through with US they'll wish they had
stayed in Germany"
At the end Of the meeting whe7e he
is one among several speakers he is