South Bend news-times., 1915-03-30
INTERVIEW WITH
SHAW INTERESTING
TREATISE ON WAR
English SatiriSt Calls Stand of
Empire HypoCritiCaI and
Hopes That "PruSSian Mill
tariSm" is Crushed.

LONDON. March 80. - These peo-
ple-dnd there are many-who con-
slider George Bernard Shaw a pro
/ German" would perhaps have altered
their opinion were they privileged as
! 1 have just been, to have an hours
talk with Mr.. Shaw on the subject Of
the war. When / say an hours talk
with the great writer. this is Incorrect.
As matter of fact Mr.. Shaw did the
taking. ] was a Hstcner-merely
( breaking ia now and then with a
question TO make clear some point
I which he had made, and which 7 had
not quite grasped.
1 called on Mr. Shaw at his fiat i'm
/ AdeIphi terrace overlooking the
Thames. ! was invited irt0 the din
Z ing roOm-which was heated almost
to suifOcation by a roaring fire in am
open CRATE. Usually callers are
shown into Mr.. Shaw's study. and in
few moments l learned why an ex-
/ ception had been made i'm my case.
/ Mr.. Shaw came in and Immediately
a apologized
I hope YOU won't mind talking
/ here, as the rest of the house Is i'm
1 pregnated with influenza Mrs. Shaw
mas II very badly, and ] would not
pke TO expose YOU TO any risks he
said.
After little personal conversation
I asked him if there was any truth
in the latest oft repeated report that
/ he WAS hortly going 10 America
No Truth in RumOr.
Not a word" he said There is
nothing in the world that gives me
so much bother on these reports
Someone-and | cannot discover who
starts them every now and then and
the result is 1 am literally lombard
ed with cables and letters from Amer
icas asking me to lecture and do ali
sorts of things. l am not going to
America and don't know when / shall
go. but il would be n kindness to
state that when l do go, if ever-I
viii announce the fact myself and
that unless l do this no notice should
be taken Of reports Of this kind"
/ suggested that a possible explain
alton that the wish was probably
father to the thought.
4 admit that" he replied with
Shavian modesty, "and the tempta-
ton is great for there is little here
for civilian to do, but I shall stay
where ] am. / am doing very little
journalistic work-eXcept an occa-
sional contribution on the war for il
does not pay me nearly so well as a
play does. although I have not writ
ten anything since my "Pygmalion."
The mention OF his war contribu-
incident. the recital of which evident
~ afforded him great amusement.
Tells Story.
Have you heard the story OF how
came to be excluded from King
Albert's Birthday Book he asked.
adding 1T is very amusing Hall
Caine Cthe editor) asked me TO
write something for IT. I did. II
was only a short thing-quite appro-
pirate. later on Hall Caine came 70
me in a state OF great agitation. He
said that those responsible for pub
fishing the book thought it unwise
that my contribution should be in
cluded because OF my known views
about the war Poor Hall Caine was
very distressed He offered 10 re-
sign his position or do anything
liked 10 mark his disapproval Of the
situation. 7 laughed and told him not
10 worry. so the book went 10 press
without my tribute.
But the sequel was very amusing
Not long after the book was publish
ed i was asked by the Belgian govern
ment X ] would not please write
something on the subject OF Belgium's
plight-sOmething which was really
intended for am appeal 10 the Amer
lean public for help for the starving
Belgians. They paid me the compii-
ment OF saying j was the only man
who could most successfully appeal
10 the Americans because Of my fol-
lowing there. OF course said
would and dug out my rejected con-
tribution which J enlarged upon con-
siderably and then sent it 20 the
Belgian government, suggesting that