Evening star., 1940-12-30
Speech
Held Ridiculous
In Vote|ess DC.
Teachers Convention
AppIouds Randolph
Booking Of Suffrage

Free speech-bulwalk of democ-
racy-is ridiculous In the District
because residents are denied the
right to vote, Representative Ran
dolph, chairman of the House Dis
trict Committee, declared today in
an address before the National As
sociation of Teachers of Speech.
you can talk and vote" he told
more than 1000 delegates from all
sections of the country. But "in
Washington all that people can do
is talk and talk and talk"
A burst of applause greeted his
emphatic advocacy of "a written
amendment to go to the States Civ
ing the District of Columbia a vote
for President and representation in
the House and Senate"
Representative Randolph spoke IL
the Mayfiower Hotel main ballroom.
packed with delegates at the open
ing session of the associations four
day Silver Anniversary Conventlc"
being held in connection with tn
American Educational Theater A
ISOLATION. /
Problem More Acute.
He emphasized that the Districts
problem is more acute than "27
wears ago" He pointed out that
more and more youths are reaching
the age of 21-when they are eX-
pected to make sacrifices for III"
Nations safety-without having
vote in any outside community.
A plea that the right to talk and
criticize freely be maintained in tn
United States during the defens
emergency was presented by N
associations retiring president. Ala
H. Monroe. in opening the conver
ton.
Referring to the tendency alwa,
present during a military emergenC
for people to emphasize action an
to be impatient with talk" tF
Purdue University professor dc
clared:
Il think it is our duty througho
the country to denouce the doctrii
of silence and fear.
Settlements by Negotiation.
LET us not hesitate TO uncol
weakness and delay or to critic
and condemn it, but let this CRITICS
spring from a background of unifle
and vigorous support.
Nor should we forget that speed y
in the world today is not alone
matter of public utterance. AT
operating democracy demands clear
and thoughtful speech on the farm.
in the factory and Government,
Speech can and must go to work.
Labor controversies must be settled
by talk and not by force; farm
policies must be co-ordlnated by
discussion and agreement, and Gov
eminent policies must gain their
sanction from people who have
debated them
Among the tasks which the con-
vention will undertake is the selec-
ton of an official debate topic for
high school students throughout
America next year Among those
being considered are discussion of
censorship. compulsory military and
labor service for high school stu
dents, Federal housing and the con-
dition of American newspapers to-
6av.
w. Hayes Yeager. Chauncey M.
Depew professor of public speaking
at George Washington University.
was elected president of the Asso-
citation today.
Other officers elected by the con-
vention were Claude M Wise. Loui-
siana State University, first vice
president, Elwood Murray, Univer-
sity of Denver, second vice president,
and delegates at large to the execu-
tive council, Bryng Bryngelson, Min
reSota University; Miss Lena FOLEY
Shorewood High School, Milwaukee,
MINI: William p Ha1stead- Michi-
gan University. and Grafton p Tan
quarry, Of the University OF S0utherN
California.