Evening star., 1927-05-05
.LOKER KEEPS CALM
AS FRIENDS EXULT
Winner Awaits Official An.
.nouncement as Others
Storm Press Room.

Through the maze of excitement
that followed the conclusion Of The
Star finals in the fourth National
Oratorical Contest yesterday comes
the story-clarified by the perspective
of day--of the championship victory
of William Alexander Loker, the
southern Marylander, who will repre-
sent this region in the national finals
May 81. and who, by virtue of his
victory, will travel through Europe
during the Summer.
Receiving an almost perfect score
from the three judges who rated him
winner Of the finals, Loker became
the indisputable champion of this
region His speech on THE Constitu-
ton was delivered in the third unit
Of the concluding competition, as the
ninth contending bid for victory. One
speech followed his and The Star
finals We're over.
Students Await News.
Then a wait. 1t had been an
nounced that the winners name
would not be declared until the after
noon edition of The Star came off the
presses. and the contest ended an hour
and half before the first paper came
from the printing machines. Long be-
fore that period had passed, however,
crowds of the interested students who
had supported the various contestants
began gathering in the business office
of The Star. Others congregated just
outside the windows, and still others
prowled about the doors leading to the
pressroom. Each of the youngsters
was intent upon learning, as soon as
possible, who was champion.
Finally, Just as the presses were be-
IT., If. q
group of girls, students of Notre Dame
Academy. who were concerned chiefly
with their own entrant. Bessie CuSh,
the champion of the Washington pri-
Vate and parochial schools district, un-
able to wait longer, rushed into the
pressroom itself and seized the very
first papers that We're printed. Dis
appointed, naturally, in the defeat of
their own candidate, they returned to
he waiting crowd outside. Somehow
they threw the announcement at the
impatient walters. and most of those
were Alexis friends, students of the
Leonard Hall School of Leonardtown.
Champion Is Absent.
Cheers-screams - whistles! Street
traffic itself hesitated. But the cham
pion was not there.
Being youth we'll schooled in disci-
few who did not attempt to get pre-
mature report of the finals. He left
the National Museum Auditorium,
where he delivered his Grafton, and
returned Immediately to his quarters in
the Lee House. When the word of his
victory was broadcast, Aleck had just
finished his lunch and was leaving the
hotel for the trip down town. A tele-
phone call to one of the boys in his
party resulted in a frenZied yell from
an upper-story window, and Aleck
halted in his tracks toward q waiting
automobile.
He, a champion! Well, he'd continue
down to The Star office. On arrival he
was greeted by bowling mob of boys
and girls and teachers, the Catholic
Xaverian Brothers, who conduct the
Leonard Hall School. The keenest
cheerers in the entire crowd seemed
to be the Notre Dame girls, who quick
~ forgot their own disappointment in
the sportsmanship which they have
displayed throughout the contest.
One of the first persons young Ioker
sought was Brother Walter, G. +. X,
his teacher of English, and coach
throughout the trying period of prep
aration for the crucial test. The mild
hammered little cleric had very little
to say to Aleck then: his eyes seemed
pretty moist, but then-well, Aleck
understood, and the other boys under
stood.
Father Gets Tidings.
While this was going on, one of the
proudest and happiest mothers in the
world at that moment was just inside
The Star business Office telephoning.
She had called Judge William M.
Ioker-Aleck's father--whose judicial
duties at the Prince Frederick Court
house kept him from hearing his boy
deliver his speech.
That conversation between father
and mother went something like
"William?"
"Yes, mother?"
"A-a-hurrah for A1eck.
''Oh, go way, mammal
And then it trailed off into happy
bubbling while the cheers continued
just a few yards away.
While the Notre Dame girls gave
their school yells for the conqueror
of their own hope and the Leonard
Hall boys danced wildly, Aleck and
his mother met in a great big hug.
Just after that the photographer
caught them together. Their picture
is here and their smiles tell that story.
Teacher Gets Trip.
Brother Ambrose, G. F. X, the di-
rector of Leonard Hall, walked about
somewhere in the rear of the happy
throng directing most of his attention,
il was evident, to long-distance tele-
phone calls and telegraph messages.
He halted long enough. though, to tell
another side of the story to a re-
porter for The Star.
Aleck, of course, had won his trip
to Europe, but that was not the only
trip at stake. Brother Ambrose eX-
plained that he had received the
promise of the provincial of the
brotherhood, Brother Paul, of the
mother house in Baltimore, who had
come to Washington to hear the ora
tions that if Aleck LOker won,
Brother Walter, the patient, hard
working teacher Of the contender,
might also be sent abroad with his
pupil. The promise shall be kept, it
was vouchsafed later in the evening
Brother Walter, who for II years has
taught at Leonard Hall, and who him.
self often had Graded the baby Loker,
IN earlier years. is going to Europe.
Brother Bernard the superior gen
eral of the XaVierian Order, of Bruges,
Belgium. was also among those who
heard the young orators yesterday,
and he game his hearty approval of
the reward that has been won by
Loker for his teacher.