Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-27
ORATORS CHOOSE
NATIONAL HEADS
Elect Officers of Constitution
CIub-AirpIane Trip Fea-
lures Visit Here.

Thrilled in the morning by an ex-
citing airplane ride over the Capital and
| by tales of the travel by sea, desert and
mountain which will be theirs on the
| South American tour this Summer, the
eight f1nalists of the Sixth National
Oratorical Contest concluded their day
| together in Washington with the cleo
ton of the national officers of the Con-
stitution Club at the Mayfower Hotel
/ last night.
Ben Swofford, Kansas City, Mo-, en-
| try, who won the national champion
ship in the contest finals at the Wash
| ington Auditorium Saturday night, was
| chosen president, while James Leonard
Butsch, st. Johns College boy, who
represented Washington, Virginia and
Maryland in the finals. was named ma
tional vice president of the club. Miss
Elizabeth v. Corey of Portland. Me-, was
| selected as secretary and treasurer. The
| election marked the annual meeting Of
the finalists, held in executive session
following the official dinner given them
by Randolph Leigh, director general OF
the contest, and Mrs. Leigh.
All but two of the out-of-toWn final
lists will have started for their homes
by tonight. Lee Miller, Chicago's Sec
ond-place winning entry, and Wilbur
Thibault, the Portland, Greg, orator
will not leave until tomorrow. Miss
Lucille Fletcher. the Brooklyn girl who
took third place in the contest. ano
Howard Finch, Battle Greek, Mich, en-.
try, left last night, while Miss Katherine
Marshall of Quanah, Tex; Miss Corey
and Swofford left this morning or early
this afternoon.
Party Guests of The Star.
The eight orators and members oil
their party on the trip to Washington
were guests of The Star yesterday or
an automobile tour of Washington and
nearby Virginia which was featured by
an informal dinner at the George
Mason Hotel in Alexandria. Leaving
The Star Building at 10 o'clock, the
party was taken in automobiles to
Hoover Field at the Virginia end of the
Highway Bridge. There they were
taken aloft in two open biplanes for q
16-minute flight over the city. Di-
vided into groups of four, the flnalists
took off simultaneously with Miss Mar
shall, Miss Corey, SWofford and Butsch
in a ship piloted by r. w. Scott. and
with Miller, Thinault, Miss Fletcher
and Finch in the plane handled by
Pilot Behr Both pilots are member:
OF the staff of the International Air
| ways, Inc, noStS 10 the orators, were
on the fight.
minute after the orators plane ha6
taken off, little monoplane carrying
a staff photographer for The Star ane
pilotad by Earl Stanhaurer followed
thorn into the air Over the monu.
m MT, tn" orators were treated to {
sc"."~ @" dives, turns and banks as tn,
t''ro" 70 : Unanswered for position ii
which the orators could be photo
graphed from midair with the monu
ment showing beneath.
From Hoover Field, the orators wen
to the Pan-American Union Building
which. although closed on Sunday wa
opened especially for them by DR.. L.
Rowe, director general of the Union
who was a most affable host. In brie
address to the boys and girls who littl
more than a month away will embark
for the three month journey through
South America, DR.. Rowe told thu
orators he considered their visit to tn,
nations below "as matter of utmos
importance"
The peoples Of South America, h,
told them. will regard their visit as &
compliment, for, he explained, you arr
going in every respect, representative.
Citing common misunderstanding
which foreign lands entertain toware
the United States. and specifically tn!