Evening star., 1926-06-05
CALIFORNIA BOY
FIRST IN NATIONAL
0RATORY CONTEST
Herbert Wenig of Hollywood
Scores Decisive Victory in
Thrilling Event.
MISS MYRTLE POSEY
OF EASTERN SECOND
Great Throng Assemblies to Hear
Speakers-Many High Govern
mental officials Present.

dovetailed perfectly with Vice Presi'
dent Dawes avowed conception OF
winning oratory." that OF reason
forcibly expressed and logically ar.
ranged" Herbert Wenig, Il years. OF
Hollywood High School, California
won the title of national champion be
fore a crowd of $500 persons, who at
tended the national finals of the third
National Oratoricai Contest in the
Washington Auditorium last night.
Miss Myrtle poSey, Washington s
representative in the contest, won sec.
ond honors. while Miss Helen Bylund
of New York City was third.
The victory of Wenis and Miss
Posey was Il repetition OF history. as
in the first contest. held here in 1924
the California entrant, Dom Tyler
was first, and the local representative
Miss Ruth Newburn. was second.
Victory Was Decisive.
WeniG's victory was decisive. The
Pacific Coast lad was given three first
places by the five Supreme Court
Judges. one second and one fourth for
d low point total of 8. Miss Posey
held Il low point total of Is for sec
oIIu HOHtlS, w lllie MISS was
third with a low point total of 16.
1t is noteworthy that Chief Justice
William Howard Taft's ballot gave
Wenig first. Miss Posey second and
Miss Bylund third, the same result as
the consolidated count of the five
judges conclusions. Supreme Court
Judges Van Devanter, Sutherland.
Sanford and Butler. who assisted Chief
Justice Taft in the judging, all sat
apart in different sections of the
audience.
Miss Guita Bearman, the Minneapo-
lis representative, received one first
place although she was not placed
among the first three Miss Bylund
received the second of the first places
which Wenig failed to win.
All Orators DO Well.
1t was the unanimous verdict of
the distinguished audience that all
selves wonderfully. No one of them
made the slightest untoward slip and
the judging Of the awards proved a
difficult task even for members of the
United States Supreme Court.
When Frank 3. Noyes, president of
The Evening Star Co, advanced to
the rostrum to announce the winners,
the colorful audience which was pre-
dominated by high school students,
who had punctuated the orations with
snappy school yells, fell into death.
like silence.
AS Mr.. Noyes informed the throng
that Wenig was the winner the as
semblage accorded the boy an ova-
ton of magnitude and sincerity
which hardly could have been dupli-
Gated on his own Pacific Coast.
A moment later. however. when
Mr.. Moves declared Miss Posey sec
ond. the loyal Eastern supporters
tonians let loose n bedlam which
made the huge hall resound.
Japanese Chum Elated.
Wenig takes his victory calmly to-
day, but John Also. the 16-year-old
Japanese and debating chum of the
Hollywood boy, is the most hilari-
Gus young man in the Unites States.
1t was Also who darted from the
stage of the Auditorium last night
to flash the news back to California
and it was Also who today, with a
grin from ear to ear, opened the
sheaf of kilograms which piled at
Wenig's hotel.
Wenig had but three relatives in the
huge crowd of last night. but what
they lacked in number they made up
in the enthusiasm of their reception
to the young champion.
e. O. Wenig, the lads grandfather
and member of the New York Stock
Exchange, putting his cap at a rakish
angle, danced up and down in the de-
light OF kid
Wenig's mother and sister heard the
contest in their faraway homes over
the radio last night. Their reaction is
summed up in the following kilograms
he received today:
IRA Ra Hollywood. Hurray for YOU.
Keep calm. Mother
Dearest Herbert: Marvellous. You
have certainly brought home the
bacon. Cannot express joy, happiness
and pride that fills us all at news
of your great victory. SISTER,"
Looks to Next Contest.
Refusing to he ruff1ed and making
it q point to compel his associates
to forget that he triumphed over
them, NEenig today is setting himself
to the solemn task of defending
Americas claim to oratorical excel
lence in the international oratorica]
contest to be held here next October
In the absence OF Gen. John J.
Pershinc, Vice President Dawes pre-
sented Wenig with the handsome sill.
yer loving cup set up for the cham
pion. In congratulating Wenig he
made it plain that he personally was
In entire accord with the verdict of
the judges.
Conviction that the radio will bring
into play an entirely new style of ora,
tory was voiced by Vice President
Dawes in his speech. He said:
THE radio. which gives the speaker
Continued on Page D. Column hO