The matters of interest in the history of debating this year are the University debates with Princeton and Yale, the series of debates for the interclass championship, and the changes made in the debating system. The work, on the whole, was fairly satisfactory, for although the two University teams were somewhat below the usual standard and the debate with Yale at New Haven was lost, the interclass debates were distinctly above the average, and interest in the University and class clubs has been fairly strong and well sustained.

The first debate of the year was that with Yale. On October 24, Yale submitted the question: "Resolved, That the history of trades-unionism in the United States for the past twenty years shows a general tendency detrimental to the best interests of the country." Sixty men tried for the University team, the largest number that has come out for a debate since 1900. The men finally selected were M.E. Weldy 3L., E.M. Rabenold '04, and T.H. Reed 3L., Rabenold was awarded the Coolidge Prize of $100 for the best work in the trials. F.Q. Morton '06, H.A. Hirshberg '06, and A.B. Weiler sL. were retained as a second team and when Reed was shortly afterward compelled to resign on account of ill health, Morton was put in his place. Weiler was subsequently chosen alternate. A.S. Hayes '91, who coached the University teams which defeated Yale in 1902 and 1903, was again made coach of the team.

The debate was held in Woolsey Hall, New Haven, on December 4, before the largest audience which ever listened to an intercollegiate debate, and resulted in victory for Yale. Both sides met the question fairly and showed great power in suiting their own arguments closely to those of their opponents. Harvard lost mainly through delay in meeting the fundamental argument of Yale, although it was met as well as possible before the close of the debate.

President Hadley, of Yale, presided and the judges were President W.H.P. Faunce, of Brown University, J.G. Milburn, of Buffalo, and General F.V. Greene.

The question for the Princeton debate was submitted by Harvard and read as follows: "Resolved, That laws be passed compelling the management of a business undertaking which secures control of an industry to sell its product at reasonable rates without discrimination."

The Harvard team was composed of R.W. Kelso '04, E.M. Rabenold '04, and F.B. Wagner 2L., Rabenold again winning the Coolidge Prize. S.J. Gilman '04, W.M. Shohl '06, and A.B. Weiler sL. formed the second team, from which Weiler was finally chosen alternate. A.P. Stone '93 coached the team. The debate was held in Sanders Theatre on May 6, before a rather small audience. The University team won, chiefly through handling the question from the practical point of view, and showing the impossibility of carrying out in practice the scheme submitted by the affirmative. On the other hand, Princeton wasted time fatally in repeating facts already admitted, instead of meeting the objections interposed by the Harvard team. The judges at this debate were Dean W.D. Lewis, of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, S.J. Elder, and S. Bowles, editor of the Springfield Republican. They were unanimous in their decision, which was returned within ten minutes of the close of the speaking.

From a debating point of view, the series of debates for the class championship is hardly less important than the University contests, as the series not only affords visible evidence of the debating interest in the different classes, and the quality of work done in the class clubs, but also furnishes the best connection between the intimate and correspondingly informal speaking done in the class clubs and the serious work of University speaking. The work of these class teams was rather better than usual this year, and an increase in the interest in class debating was apparent.

The two preliminary debates in the class series were held on the evening of December 18. That between the Seniors and Juniors on the following question, submited by Seniors, was won by them: "Resolved, That the following form of closure should be adopted by the Senate: (a) A motion shall be in order at any time, setting a time for voting on a bill, which motion shall be decided by a two-thirds vote without debate; (b) the time for the vote shall be extended, if necessary, to allow every opponent of the bill so desiring to have one hour in which to state his objections to the bill." F.W. Catlett, E.C. Johnson, and D.A. McCabe spoke for the Seniors, and M.M. Horblit, I.I. Mattuck, and H.O. Ruby, for the Juniors.

The debate between the Sophomores and the Freshmen, held the same evening, was on the question, "Resolved, That the natural productive industries of the United States will be benefited by legislation securing immediate reciprocity with Canada, on natural and manufactured products." A.W. Blackwood, J.W. Russell, and G.C. Townsend represented the Sophomores and E.R. Brumley W.H. Keeling and W.M. Whitman, the Freshmen. This debate was extremely close, the judges remaining in consultation for three-quarters of an hour, and was finally awarded to the Sophomores on account of their superior work in rebuttal.

The final debate of the series, between the Seniors and the Sophomores, was held February 18. The question, submitted by the French Department in accordance with the terms of the Pasteur Medal, read: "Resolved, That the complete secularization of public education in France would be for the best interests of the country." The Senior team consisted of E.W. Baker, F.W. Catlett., and N. Pereles. The Sophomore team was made up of A.W. Blackwood, J.W. Plaisted, and M. Kabatchnick, who spoke in place of W.W. Corlett who was forced to resign on account of illness. The debate was awarded to the Sophomores, who treated the question from a broader and yet more practical point of view. The Pasteur medal was awarded to Kabatchnick.

Several changes have been made in the debating system this year. The first and most important was the abolishing of the Senior and Junior clubs and the formation of an active University debating body, to which all members of the University except Freshmen and Sophomores should be eligible. The suggestion that the coach of a University team sit as one of the five judges at the trials was adopted, and the coach was further given power, with the consent of a majority of the original board of judges, to replace members of a first team by members of the second, should the change seem desirable. Another change was the election of a debating manager to take charge of the University debate held in Cambridge each year.