Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-05
Berates Shaw and Wells

LONDON. March 2-Rcrnard shay ~
g. Wells, and the influence OF their
writings about tho war on American
opinion ar" ttie subjcc, OF a forcihln
article by J. .. T.. Bland a io,rn.,iis,
I in the March Issue OF tho Ninc,ecnth
Century.
'Englishmcn arc no doubt Justified
IN treating tile political opinions ~
shaw and Wells vita contcmptuous in.
IiGcrcncc.' says Mr. Bland. ''bu, arc M,
Justified in shutting rhoir eyes 70 ,ba
possible "fcctS OF these Uttcrances on
public opinion abroad. or leaving then,
TO do their pcrnicIous work unchal.
ienrcd ana unrcbukcd."
Speaking OF Mr.. Shaw's common
sense pamphlet. Mr.. Bland says:
I'll" mass OF his countryncu since
III" Outbreaks OF the war have had
enough serious things 10 think abou;
ana 10 do without troubling themselves
TO digtst the pasquinadcs of this liter
airy harlequin. To judge from current
opinion most ErSlisiImou regard these
ccccntriciticS aud c&ccsscs OF Shaw's
genius much IN The same way as they
regard til" wcll-ndvcrtiscd Red Cross
activities Of certain ladies or the the
;t;rical and fashionable world hut In
America, where he commands a far
wider circle Of readers, there can he no
doubt he has rendered services TO Ger
many sufficient to cntitlc him to the
IRON cross At the hands of the Kaiser
Thc conditions under which his ,nuo-
Singing is done mako IL certain that
some of II Will stick TO the prejudice
hereafter OF our national interests In
the day OF reckoning. II Is not for
nothing that tho German Press Bureau
has given wide circulation to his
pamphlet. as propaganda literature cal
culaicd to strengthen Germany's posi-
ton In neutral countries.
In the cXubcrancc OF his own por-
torrance, however, shaw has ovcrdonc
il. Even the little broadway shopgIrl.
diGcstinG him through the columns OF
the New York Times in her diligcnt
peruSai of culture, must experience an
uneasy feeling That this idol Of the
American press is not to he taken scri-
ouSlN. II is not easy at !, time like this
for tho master cynic to pose successful
ly in the minority of one against all
Europe as the sole repository OF true
wisdom
Mr.. RlanG'S conclusion is:
The Irresponsible opinions, uttered
ostcnsibiy in the name Of English liD-
craiisin by writer's whose names are
household words Oh both sides OF the
Atlantic, have encouraged u belief, al
ready widely prevalent in America,
that the United States eventually will
TIC required to act as mediator and ar
bitter of the terms OF peace in Europc
they certainly have created the feeling
mat, the Monroe doctrine TO tile con-
trary notwithstanding America has q
moral right 10 he consulted whenever
the redrhwing Of The map OF Europe
takes place. The reiterated appeals OF
these writer's to the Omitted States as n
moral force find. their answer I'm DR.
Nicholas Murray Hutler's expressed be-
lct that because we iAncrica) are the
first moral power in tho world to-day
ana have made good our right to be
appealed TO on questions of ma i6nal and
international morality These vicws.'
says IL writer in the New York Times.
must make every Americans heart first
swell with pride and then thrill with
the realization Of the vesponsibilIty'
Therein. concludes Mr.. Bland "IIes
their mischief and their possible danger.
Tor this war Will not end in arbitration
nor by any outside Intervention, but
only by Gormanys complete surrender"