The Columbia evening Missourian., 1921-05-31
REQUISTTESOF
WRITER GIVEN
BYF.P.GASS
Newspaper Authority Telli
Woodrow Wilson's Formu-
la for Success as
Debater.
KNOW ENGLISH. HE SAYS
Former President Master Of
Language Construction
Always Chose SIM
pie Words.

Learn the English language If you
would be a successful man or woman
in any line. but particularly in the pro-
fession Of journalism said Franklin P.
Glass. former president of The American
Newspaper Publishers Association and
editor Of the birmingham (Ala.) News.
Mr.. Glass was one Of the newspaper men
attending the twelfth annual Journalism
Week OF Columbia lass week
In speaking Of the successful journal
is, he said that a complete command Of
English was a preliminary requisite. And
in illustration Of his point, Mr. Glass
selected Woodrow Wilson. a school
reacher who was elected president Of
the United States Mr.. Glass was at
Princeion University at the time Mr..
Wilson was a student there, and knew
him quite intimately. He tells this story
Of the former president, in which the
value Of English is the thread from
which a ladder TO fame and prominence
Of almost incompatible proportions was
woven.
"Mr. Wilson was a freshman at Prince
ton al the time | was a junior there. We
had a club at that time composed Of
men interested in debating. Membership
TO this club was made by ballot, Of
course. but the candidate for admission
first had TO prove his worth on the
forum. When Mr.. Wilson was brought
up 10 debate for the first time. in an ex-
iempormeous speech he easily held his
own from the start with older and more
practiced debafers.
Later came TO know him quite well,
and asked him one day how ii happen
ed that he could talk 50 fOrcefully and so
clearly on any subject Of which he had
a knowledge. The reply received ex-
planned as logically and forcefully as
had anything | ever heard the reason for
his success as student and for his en-
viable career as a debater. He told me
that his father, a minister in the church,
had from his earliest childhood taught
him to speak correct English.
So said Mr.. Wilson, at the time
| became old enough TO start to grammar
echool, the rndimenis OF the language |
which were taught there I found myself |
already familiar with. II vas habit Of
my fathers to talk with me as we took
a walk at least once week, Ofientimes
on Sunday afternoons, and every time
made an error in enunciaiion or gram
mar. be would correct me, telling me why
il was wrong and wherein to correct ii
This was not only true on these walks,
Of course. My father never allowed me
10 make an error in English without cor.
recting me-
''His father was a great orator and
powerful preacher, and Wilson's success
as a teacher and later as public man
can be traced almost directly back 10 the
training he received in grasping the
Of words and using the exact
word he wanted in expressing his mean
iHR-in other words, a complete com.
lnand Of the English language. He rare
ly uses long words where il can be
avoided, having been taught to use
simple, direct speech and employing to
this end words largely of AnglO-Ssxon
origin rather than those Of Latin leriva-
lion"
A thorough course in English should
be required in every school Of journalism,
Mr.. Glass said. In conjunction with such
cos.r.a a ofudxy of litarasura hoth mod I
sm and old, should be given. This is
for a better understanding Of what is
meant by -classics' and the gaining a
style which has some Of the direct force
iuIness Of the classics, without the So
salled 'heaviness" which would result
from the relating Of current events in
poetic or classically descriptive language,
according to him.