Evening star., 1935-12-01
BY ROBERT CRAWFORD.


The latest and swankiest fad among
Washington women is classes in the
art of public speakng-that. is to say
which, or one might say there Is
nothing else but, from January, when
Congress meets, until it adjourns In
the Spring or Sulnmer-but this Is
not that. This is classes in the tech
nique of oratory which are conducted
Dy two well known women in this
country and abroad who are trained
elocutionists and who have had broad
experience in both the teaching and
the practice of addressing large audi
ences and drawing room groups.
To the end of cultivating that poise
and freedom of manner that Is so
essential in conveying an important
message or even announcement, the
voice must have carrying power; the
action must be suited to the word, a
la Shakespeare, and the Delsartean
or some later method of gesture must
be taught those would-be female
Demosthenes, whose low, sweet tones
are the joy of polite salons and poets
but who find it impossible to make
themselves heard 10 feet away when
they rise as toast mistress or to ad-
dress a large audience.
Whether in a standing or viva voice
vote, women have it. This is an age
of women in public affairs and many
women in society who formerly took
no part in public life are taking on
more and more the tone of English
women, who since the time of Sarah
Churchill, the mouthpiece of Queen
Anne, and for her husband, the Duke
of Marlborough-who could fight bet
ter than he could talk-have taken 9
prominent part in public life.
The beautiful Georgiana, Duchess
of Devonshire, in her day could help
swing an election by exchanging g
kiss for a vote, and the fetching Vir.
ginia-born ViscounteSs Nancy Astor
who in the late November elections in
England, talked the Plymouth con.
stituency into sending her back te
Parliament, has natural gift for pub
Lie speaking and uses the vernaculal
of the crowd to drive home point.
One of the smartest classes in public
speaking counts among its members
Mrs. Charles Sumner Hamlin, wife
of Mr.. Hamlin of the Federal Reserve
Board, and former president of the
National Woman'S Democratic Club
From her earliest childhood she has
listened to public speaking for she
was reared in an atmosphere oi
politics. Her father, the late Johr
Van Schaick Lansing Pruyn of Albany
N. Y, was one of the outstanding
lawyers and Democrats of his time
A member of the Thirty-eighth anc
Fortieth Congresses he made notable
speech favoring Andrew johnson. Mrs
Edward c. Meigs, nee Wister of Phila-
delphia-of course, where else could
the Wisters come from?-who sue
ceeded Mrs. Hamlin as president ol
the Democratic Club, tells good
story. is an excellent toastmistress
but has not enough carrying power
in her voice Mrs. Edward Keat-
ing, who can't remember when she
did not do little talking Mrs
Daisy Hartman, one of the prominent
woman organizers and speakers in tht
Woodrow Wilson campaign direc.
tor of the Mint, Nellie Tayloe Ross
former Governor of Wyoming
Assistant Secretary Of Treasury
Josephine Roche, and others well
known through the States, make this
special class particularly delightful.
Some women are just natural born
talkerS-there is her handsome excel
lency, Ruth Bryan Owen, Minister to
Denmark, who needs no training. She
is the daughter of the silver-tongued
orator, William Jennings Bryan, who
could talk himself into almost any
position but the presidency of the
United States. AS well-known diplo-
mat expressed it during her present
visit here she has talked the entire
population of the little kingdom Of
Denmark into falling in love with
her.
Mrs. Roosevelt is a veteran at the
business and is noted for her beau
tiful and simple English Mrs.
Hoyal, chairman of the woman's di-
vision of the National Republican
Committee =. Mrs. Woolfe, chairman
of the woman's division Of the National
Democratic Committee, and those
charming, clever, ladies of Congress,
all are given to talking-and then
again some more.