Evening star., 1927-04-24
ORATORY ENTRANTS
PREPARE FOR MEET
Youths Use Easter Holiday
to Improve on Work for
May d Finals.

With r WO-dnu-a~naIf-m month tour OF
Europe, 5000 in cash and a chance to
win national oratorical honors await
ing one of them, the District win
ners" in The Star area of the fourth
national oratorical contest are doing
all in their power to improve their
respective chances for victory in the
regional finals, May 4, when the de-
serving winner will be determined.
The Easter school vacation, which
ends today, has given the youngsters
q good deal of time in which to do
something" about the coming meet
ing, and while each entrant has avail
ed himself of the advantage OF
leisure, each used his time in his own
peculiar way.
Joe Greenwood. the 17-year-oid
champion of Western High School,
hacked up a Camp-kit, and with
group of chums journeyed down to
Front ROYAL, Va, where he tossed his
oratorv from one mountain to another
with no particular thought OF the
coming regional finals or any of Its
consequences.
While down there, Joe rode the
horses at the Army RemoHnt Station,
treking up into the mountains almost
daily. Before he left he saw one OF
the best examples of hail storms he
had ever witnessed and yesterday, he
told a reporter for The Star that the
icy pellets were las big as golf balls. ="
But he fixed that all right by promptly
explaining that he was eXaggerating
some
Brushes Up on Oratory,
Before he hit the trail for Front
ROYAL, however, Joe had done con-
siderable thinking about the oratorical
contest. He worked on the delivery
of his Grafton in swapping up his pro-
nunciarion, which he said his critics
had told him was flat on some
words" He attributes this peculiar
ity to the accent of his native Indiana.
And then, too, this Western High
School entrant pruned his delivery
time so that he will not be one of
those who would be stopped by the
deadly accurate timekeepers. Joe
plans to go up TO Central High School
before May I to rest his vocal powers
in the auditorium in which he is TO
make his stand for honor and the
European trip.
When he was asked which he fear
ed most as opponents in the finals
boys or girls-Joe was skeptical. II
seems he has considered that ques-
tion pretty deeply without arriving at
any definite conclusions. Yo see, out
there in Indiana, right on the fringe
of the West, which always has sent
a boy to the national meeting, Joe
says boys are regarded as the ora
tors, and the standard they set is
used as a common measure for all po-
tential speechmakers. The girls, in
turn, 90 out for honors in correct
reading.
But out here-I don't know" Joe
problem. Some times it seems that
here they like a sort of feminine
type Of oratory, and so the girls are
mighty apt to win. The 'oratory
here. in other words, Eat the ora
tory that is demanded al some other
sections-in Indiana, for instance.
There, a girls type Of oratory is con-
sidered more like reading. "
Activities Divided.
Joe says that in his State school
activities are divided into definite
cEasses-athletics, oratory and read
ing. Boys go out for oratory honors,
while the girls concentrate on read
ing ability-"and they're different,
Joe concludes.
"Aleck" Loker, the high-calibered
Maryland champion, who halls from
the Leonard Hall School. down in
Leonardtown, aims to be an even
stronger contender for The Star re-
gional championship than he was for
the Maryland district honors, which
he won so admirably at Hyattsville.
Aleck--he is William Alexander
Loker-passed a part of the Easter
holiday here in Washington, but not
a little of the vacation period was put
in laboriously with Brother Walter,
G. +. X, one of his teachers, who is
working with him in the development
of Loker's oratorical prowess. Aleek
has delivered his Grafton several times
since his Hyattsvilie victory, while
Brother Walter sits before him, watch
in hand, counting the important sec
onds as they tick away Each time
when the Grafton was finished sugges-
tions were offered by the watchfuI
brother, and the smoothness Of an al
ready splendid speech would take on
an even higher polish
Confidence? Well, when asked how
he felt about his coming fight for the
big trip, additional money prize-and
honor-the young Southern Mary
lander replied, sincerely, with a trace
of a smile:
Il can only hope-and pray-In
win"'
JOshed on Ambition.
As for the respective strength of
boys and girls in oratorical contests,
Aleck was just little cautious yes
terday, and he would not commit him.
self, but merely remarked laughingly
that he intended to be careful what he
said TO reporters hereafter 1t seems
that two weeks ago, when he told the
same newspaperman that his real
ambition" is 10 become Chief Justice
OF the United States, he had not ex-
pected to see that statement in The
Star, for that ambition is a sort of ''se-
cret longing" with him. Although ii
was explained in that story that young
Loker realized his ambition was very
high, indeed. and that he kept it as
an ideal at which to aim in accomplish.
ing any of the higher marks he might
attain, Loker came in for a little
''joshing" at the hands of his school
mates. But this young man is bigger
than ''joshing" and he stands by his
guns in holding to his lofty ambition
From the other side of the Potomac
River comes word that the Virginia
champion, John Oscar Bell, jr., is
whetting his oratorieal weapons foI
SPECIAL NOTICES.
JoBBER. T-CLAss-PATNTS- WIN
COWS washed. floors waxed. rugs shampooed
roofs. nDrChes nalntaG cellarG vardu nlaappI