Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-23

and has been responsible for the whole
OF our social and political development
FOR the last thirty years That de-
fusion Is the backbone OF Mr.. Shaw's
existence. 1t Is his Life Force" One
cannot talk to him for twenty minutes,
without it's coming to the surface II
taxes the place with him OF love or
nate, or any passionate or impersonal
chd. Ana now under the intense ex-
citcin"nt OF the war II has become in
! Harmed and amplitied In letters. mr.
ticles. speeches. Mr.. Shaw--who has no
kihdrcd at this war. who has no chill
drch. who has no stake whatever I'm
The future, TO whom all life IL stu n
boy lmaE!natc plnyground--makcs be-
| licve that he IL doing rare and won
derful things with international poll
ties. lie invites us all to partiripato
In his pastiInc. He gets in our way and
thrusts himself upon our attention.
SUCH fun' We are all supposed to be
PLAYING with the nations as one plays
with counters at game: here is Scan
dinavinn opinion being subtly permc
ated here liz America spinning round
under the influence OF artfully -designed
calculation: here. alas. is somebody.
wasting whitewash and boot-polish''
on the Car. Some OF us are busy pro-
! ducing ''uttcrances designed to !nfu-
cnce neutrals.' and what we have to
! do liz to play steadily for sympathy
l. with western democracy and western
ideals"
dangerous Ignorance OF Russia.
But having thus paid my long over
due tribut" OF a hairbrush to Mr. Shaw.
| I would before ! conclude like to re-
peat once more my protest at the dan
gcrous ignorance OF Russia OF which
he Is nm example. lie has simply. in
his unthinking way. picked up and
used ideas that are shared by great
masses OF ill-in.ormed advanced" pco-
In Nd 4 I'll 3,
ideas Will tremendously cucumber
western liberalism in its attempt to
secure permanent world peace at the
end Of this struggle. II is only By a
Worldwide network of treaties and the
utmost international frankncss and
confidence that any extensive disarma-
ncnt ana any lasting peace can be
made possible. II a large mass OF west
crn people remains saturated with tho
idea that the mass OF Russian peoptc
IL savagely brutal. that the Russian
government is "A thing OF Unsuitable
ambition and incredible cumming and
wickedness and the daily life OF Russia
a profound misery occasionally en-
livcncd By horrible cruelty, I see no
hope for any such settlement 1t is
all very we'll for Mr. Shaw TO play
at having such 4 devil country in his
world OF senilc mnke-bclicvc, but We
who are not making believe, who can
feel the stress OF the trenches who
can Imagine the hospitals and the suf-
! f"rings. who have had TO do with refu-
gees from the war tormeEted districts,
and who are resolved to wiring some
good out of this great agony OF man
Kind. cannot afford to share In such
foolery. People have 10 clear their
/ heads about Russia. There Is large
and growing literature OF books about
Russia and books from Russia, Maui
rice Barring. Mackenzie Wallace,
stephen Graham, Garstin. q multi
tude OF others; there is no excuse for
any one who can read TO share Mr..
Shaw's dclusions. That critical indo-
lence OF ours which has left 1t TO fool
ish sensational novels and ignorant
melodrana to build up our conceptions
OF this great people, is fraught with
disastrous consequences for the whole
world We want to bring the human
realities Of everyday Russia home to
English minds; il is. ] would venture
, to say. the next most important thing
to our proper conduct OF the war.