DEBATE COUNCIL FAVORS INTERNATIONAL DEBATES

According to a letter sent yesterday to President Lowell by Phillip Walker '25, president of the University Debating Council, the Council expressed itself emphatically in favor of international debating, particularly with Oxford and Cambridge, in the future.

The question had been raised by President Lowell, so Walker says--as to whether or not the Council favored annual international debates, even if the Institute for International Education which has managed the Oxford and Cambridge tours offered unfavorable dates, early in the fall, and if their proposal to turn over all funds raised by these debates to a fund for some vague purpose such as travelling fellowships, is adopted.

Harvard Profits Remain Here

The Council members agreed unanimously that money raised from be office receipts at a debate was quite at legitimate as that from football games and dramatic presentations. The Institute which had managed the Oxford and Cambridge teams had questioned this. But as was pointed out at the meeting and in the letter, which Walker does not care to publish, debating must stand financially on its own feet at Harvard (unlike most other colleges and universities, which subsidize debating) while Harvard might well use this money to send one of its teams to England.

The decision was emphatic to refuse to turn over Harvard profits to a national organization managing the Oxford and Cambridge team, but the intention of the members was none the less strong to promote international debating. The men felt that even though the New York organization ultimately decided that such funds must be turned over if the American team wishes to meet Oxford or Cambridge, some arrangement could be made directly with Oxford or Cambridge.

This action will probably result in a debate with either Oxford or Cambridge next fall, according to Walker.