Packard Hits Forensic Lack In University

College attitude on debating and public speaking instruction came in for a lambasting this weekend from Frederick C. Packard '20, associate professor of Public Speaking, who asserted at the New England Speech Conference that the richest university in the land gives no support to forensics."

A single unofficial grant of $100 and scattered graduate support are the only wherewithal by which the debaters pay their coach and expenses, Packard declared, and a half course in public speaking is all offered by the University in comparison with three full courses in writing.

Write but Can't Speak

"I turn away hundreds each year," said Packard. "As a result, Harvard students may be able to write well, but they cannot speak well."

Debating is even in a worse way and unless financial aid materializes, he went on to predict, it will be non-existent.

Packard pointed to the mid-western colleges, a sharp contrast to this situation, where departments of five or six men are often employed to teach public speaking and liberal grants are given to debating societies with which to hire coaches or pay the professors for their coaching time.

Despite the difficulties before them the debaters will continue with their Ivy League program and will try to place a team in the national contest which will take place at West Point later this year. Harvard Princeton, Brown, and Pennsylvania are on the season's roster.