Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-26
KANSAS CITY YOUTH
WINS IN NATIONAL
ORATOR|CAL FINALS
Ben SWofford's "The Ameri.
can Constitution and Its
Framers" Adjudged Best.
LEE MILLER OF ILLINOIS,
TAKES SECOND PLACE
Lucille Fletcher of Brooklyn Is
Named Third in Holly Disputed
Forensic Clash.

student of Kansas City. Mo, today il
the high school oratorical champion OF
the United States, following ais hotly
disputed victory in the Sixth National
Oratorical Contest finals in the Wash
ington Auditorium last night. Swofforc
won with an Grafton on THE American
Constitution and Its Framers.'
Lee Miller Is years old, OF haywood
Ill, won close second honors in the
contest with his speech on America s
Contribution to Constitutional Govern
ment," and was proclaimed official al
ternate to the champion
Miss Lucille Fletcher of Brooklyn
N. Y, won third place with her ora
ton on The Constitution a Guaranty
of the Personal Liberty of the Indi-
vidual."
Supreme Court Members Judge.
The judges by whose verdict these
two boys and the girl are the placers
in the national contest were five men,
bers of the United States Supreme
Court-Justice Willis Van Devanter
Justice James Clark McReynolds, JUS
tice Pierce Butler, Justice Edward Terry
Sanford and Justice Earlan F. Stone.
The findings of the judges were SO
closely scaled 'that for the first time in
the history of the national finals of the
oratorical contests they were obliged to
consult to determine the winner.
Seated apart in various sections of the
auditorium. the justices first wrote in
dividual ballots, which, when compiled,
IAyT, 1iN@f f1fn yf1fr -,
SwoffQTd. Similarly, Miller was then
in second place, while Miss Fletcher
was third.
The initial ballot revealed also that
besides the three placers, James Leonard
Butsch, st. Johns College student who
represented Washington, Maryland and
Virginia in the meet, was given first
place rating by one of the iurists. None
of the contestants, however, received a
the Judges and a consultation was or
dered. The five Supreme Court MEM
bers left the audience and were closet
ed for IL minutes in an antero1r1. Their
final findings conceded with the low
point total ratings.
Father Is Seriously Ill.
Young Svofford, the winner, who
now bears the responsibility OF repre-
senting high school United States in the
international finals next Fall when the
survivors of the competition between
% nations will contend for the world
championship, will be graduated from
high school next month. The son OF
Ralph p. Swofford. Kansas City real
estate man, the oratorical champion in
tends to enter the University of Mis-
souri, next Fall to study in preparation
for the newspaper profession. In VIC
tory last night, Swofford fought alone,
for his father is seriously i'll in Arizona
and his mother is at his bedside.
Following the announcement OF ms
victory by Randolph Leigh, contest dl.
rector general, Swofford was presented
with the silver loving cup, trophy OF
the national championship, by Senator
Fess of Ohio, who delivered the formal
address at the opening of the meeting.
Other Contestants.
The other contestants. each of whom
nut forth a brand of oratory that raised
the standard of speaking in last night S
contest to perhaps the highest level IL
yet has attained in the contest, were:
Miss Katherine Marshall of Quanan,
Tex, who spoke on The Slgnihcance
of the Constitution; Howard Finch OF
Battle Creek, Mich, whose subject was
THE Constitution and What 1t Means :;
Miss Elizabeth v. Corey Of Portland,
Me. who spoke on Hoover and the
Constitution and Wilbur Thibault OF
Portland, Greg, who bid for victory
with q speech on THE Constitution
Today"
Leigh Opens Contest.
The meeting. a virtual festival OF
oratory couched in an atmosphere re-
splendent with youth, color and pa
R4n60Inn
Leigh, director general of the contest,
and its founder. Mr.. Leigh designated
the function as the sixth annual ma
tional oratorical contest in which the
representative of the United States Tor
the international finals next october
would be determined, and then pre-.
sented Senator Simeon D. Fess OF
Ohio.
In his speech. which contained con-
else history of the Constitution ana a
brief summary Of that documents sig
nificance to good government, Senator
Fess advocated "a sympathetic attitude
toward the organic law of the Nation.
Commenting upon the contest and Its
objects. "the increase of interest in and
respect for the Constitution" which ne
characterized as "commendable in the
highest terms" he declared that "popu-
lar government not only must rest upon
the general intelligence Of its citizens
but it will depend largely upon sym
pathetic attitude toward our organic
law" Continuing he said:
Limits of Results Unfixed.
TT would be difficult to fix the limits
of GOOD results to be assured by con-
test like this, where tens of thousands
of our brightest young men and women
representing the entire Nation, engage
in a rivalry of intelligent presentation
of the merits of this great instrument
Let me commend the movement anc
congratulate the participants, not onl!
in their success in winning this recog
milton, but in that satisfaction whlcf
comes from the sense OF rendering
real public service
The Senator's address was followed b!
O rrocrarn of interpretative music by th'
United States Marine Band Orchestrs
Under the direction of Capt. Taylo
Branson, portraying the history o
America from it's discovery by Columou
to the flights of American avlators owe
Polar regions. AS the orchestra played
stereopticon reproductions OF Wldel
known paintings of historical subJects
nictured the nusically interprete
events.
Miss Fletcher First 10 Speak.
NE,se Fletcher the New York entry