Evening star., 1939-10-08
Neutrality Battle
Organized, Fought
Like a Team Game ,
Senator Orators Train
On Law Tones and All
Prepore Texts


months on great law tones.
Each Senator who rises at his ma
hogany desk for an hour or two OF
speech making - checked worldly
word for flaws by hostile debaters-
prepares himself by his own train
ing rules"
. But behind him is closely knit
team, whose managers plot strategy
as carefully as did the rival pilots
in that other great American battle
the World Series.
To the crowded galleries watching
the stirring debate in the Senate,
the oratory seems a compound of
voice and gesture and well-turned
phrase.
But Senators agree that the long
term training cruel is hunt for
subject matter-nightly digging into
dusty volumes on international law,
hurry calls to Government agencies
for little-known data, ceaseless read
ing of the current news.
When a Senator is next man up"
to speak for his side in the long
argument, he holes in for final train
ing-the speech writing job.
Vandenberg Wrote for Days.
Senator Vandenberg Republican,
of Michigan, who tossed his long
wisp of hair in emphatic reading
from a manuscript last week, went
into solitude three days to write
that speech.
After glancing over the morning
mail, he left his Office promptly at
II am. In his apartment, he locked
the door, shut off the telephone.
Then he sat before his typewriter,
pounding out word after word of his
defense of embargo. He wrote the
speech once: then rewrote it again.
Then Arthur, jr., the Senator's son
and secretary, read the speech.
.Changes were made to meet, the
questions young Arthur heard young
people asking.
Senator Vandenberg was booked to
clash last Tuesday with stately Tom
Connally, Democrat, of Texas Mr.
Connally, the picture of Senator
in long coat. black bow tie and wavy
brushed-back hair had been die
tating his remarks.
With law books piled on the floor
beside him, his desk cluttered with
. brochures and pamphlets, Senator
IConnally sat at his desk speaking
rapidly His fastest stenographer
covered page after page with short
hand curlicues. Typed, they made
80 pages.
Connally Gesticulates.
Monday night, however. Senator
Logan, Democrat, of Kentucky died,
and Senate debate was adjourned.
Given that extra day, both Senators
Vandenberg and Connally found
themselves plunging anew into their
manuscripts. Senator Vandenberg
scanned the opposition's lead-of
speech, made by Senator Pittman,
Democrat. of Nevada on Monday,
and added new arguments to his
text. Senator Connally made in
serts to parry the thrusts of Senator
Borah, Republican, of Idaho.
The Texan is an ld-fashioned
orator. Ordinarily, he talks from the
hip-without following a prepared
text. Full of his subject as he
plunged into the debate next day.
he soon turned away from his text
and phrases rolled newborn from
his lips, his arms flung out in force
full gestures.
When an opponent, Senator
DoWney. Democrat, of California
broke in for a question" Senator
Gonnally's assistant, sitting beside
him. drew a prompting note from
pile of sheets before him.
Senator Vandenberg, however,
read his speech almost word for
word from pages of manuscript
propped up before him on a pile of
old Congressional Records.
All Prepare Texts.
How seriously the Senators take
this debate is indicated by the fact
that every orator has prepared a
text. Many, like Senators Connally
and Borah. talk habitually without
text or notes-trained by long years
of Senate debate to roll forceful
words from the tongue without
pause.
Senator Schwellenbach, Democrat,
OF Washington prepared for his hour
of battle by compiling, not word
for-word text, but sheaf of index
cards. Each card had a quotation,
series of statistics, the germ of an
idea he meant to use. AS he spoke
quietly, with few gestures, he turned
the cards over one by one.
1t was am. of the day before
he spoke when the Senator from
Washington placed the last card in
order, tore the trimmed spec
tacles from his head and dropped
into bed. Following his own "Sys-
tenn he did not read off the speech
aloud before he rose in the Senate
to talk.
The gestures-Senator Connally
brandishing an imaginary sword,
Senator Pittman thrusting out with
an accusing finger, Senator VAN
denberg shaking his fist in empha-
sis-are automatic, Senators say.
None of the men who debated last
week planned his gestures in ad-
vance, as an actor or concert
singer might.
Fight Well Organized.
Behind the one big speech of each
Senator is the organization. Lead
ers of both sides remain ready on
the Senate floor to leap at weak
point in a speakers argument. To-
gether, they schedule the days
peeches-matching orator against
orator
In team" meetings, the leaders
agree on the points that must be
made. Sometimes leader whispers
word to friend at his desk on the
Senate floor. Then they await the
chance to strike.
will the Senator yield for ques-
tinn ?"-hreakinp intn the neat