Evening star., 1926-06-05

| Indt OTaIOTICAl metnOOS III America
had changed and that the radio has
been one of the responsible agents
was the declaration of Vice President
Dawes, who spoke at the National
Oratorical Contest last night. He
said:
'The third National Oratorical Con-
| test, which takes place this evening
has in the space Of three years grown
from Il local organization in southern
| California of 8.41G participants until
this year nearly 10000 OF Ameri-
can youth have taken part. When we
consider that 100000 young people
have entered a contest involving, not
| the survival of the fittest class but
the survival of the fittest one, 1t Is
evident that this evening we are pres
ent at an occasion entirely unique. the
only similar occasions approaching it
in degree being the two national con-
| tests which have preceded it,
| ITO add to its great interest the
| seven young men and women are to
| speak to us tonight under circun-
stances which fmpel them to adont the
modern oratOrical method. Nothing is
more certain than that the changed
conditions OF modern life have pro
foundly affected the evolution of eff
fective oratory the world over, and
Especially in our own country.
Radio Changes Conditions.
"The great increase in the demands
of an industrial civilization upon the
time and attention of our people, the
accumulation of wealth making pos.
sible most varied and numerous forms
of entertainment and amusement, the
fact that in the moving pictures. at
tended every night by millions OF
Americans. the appeal is chiefly to
sentiment and emotion rather than to
the higher mental qualities had al
ready placed old-fashioned oratory al
a disadvan ntage; but the field for /,
which had already narrowed has re
lcently been almost obliterated by the
radio.
The radio in recent years has in
terposed itself between the orator anC
our largest crowds-crowds which rur
| into the millions in number, while
the exceptional human voice, unaidet
by this device, can make itself hearC
at the best by only from 5000 t
100000 people. But a fact OF immense
significance is that each man Of the
larger number listening 10 an orator
over the radio listens as an individual
thinking man and not as one Of al
/ impressionable crowd. AS scientist.
have pointed out, when a gathering
of people addressed is in the physica
presence of an orator and under thu
spell of his eloquence and persona
magnetism the emotions can be 81
aroused as not only to interfere will
individual mental activity, but a
times absolutely to destroy it. Th'
amalgamation of people into crowd
seems to create a living organism
possessing a definite character ant
definite mental attributes. one o
I which is the almost total lack o
/ reasoning power.
Cites Mob Psychology.
"We all know what mob psychology
means, and how, under the influence
of strong leadership and effective
oratory the mob may be led to com
nit deeds indescribably more base
than any individual therein by him
self could be pursuaded to do; and, or
the other hand, may be led to acts
of heroism and self-sacrifice to which
Iagain, no individual member of Il by
himself could be persuaded
THE brilliant writer, James ODon
nell Bennett, once pointed out the
difference in the attitude of the
crowds in Madison Square Garden at
the last Democratic convention as
they listened to the orator within
their sight and hearing, and the at
titude Of the crowd. fully as large
gathered in Union Square outside the
building listening to the same ad
dress through the lound speakers of
the radio. When the crowd inside
would he aroused at times to a
frenzy of applause and excitement the
silent crowd outside made no outcry
and indulged in no applause. The
audience inside listened as d crowd
with aroused emotions but dulle6
intellects. The audience outside
listened with unaroused emotions as
i thinking individuals. In other words
the radio which gives the speaker his
| largest hearing. has destroyed his
| power to arouse the emotion of hie
audience except through an appea
| to their reason. Instead of reaching
the mind through the emotions he
| must, when speaking over the radio
react the emotions through the mind
if he Is to reach them at all.
Must BE Logical.
| This all means that the orator of
| the future to hold and impress his
audience must largely abandon appeal
| to emotion and confine himself to rea-
| son forcibly expressed and logically
arranged. 1t means inevitably that
| the oratory Of the future is to be the
oratory Of Condensed reason, as dis
tinguished from demagoguery with its
appeals to prejudice and emotion.
This fact is fraalght with tremendous
significance to the future public vel
fare
I'm my Judgment. in the contest
this evening these young men and
women will give of the new Oratorical
! -