The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-09-03
AIR. BERNARD SHAW Is al.

4" WayB lnSereseanG. Ero-
I = quently, he IL very
amusing. Occasionally, he il con-
vincinR.
He II both interesting and anus
ing In his latest output on the sub.
jeet Of the war-"oTlaherty, Y.
c." published in the August num-
Der Of Hearst's Magazine. That
he 10 not invariably convincing IL
due to the fact that he puts his
theories Of the war into the mouth
Of an Irish soldier.
Now, the Irish soldiers are splen-
did fighters, and they have done
superb fighting for England. But
most Of them don't love England
any better today than they did be-
fore the war, even though they are
fighting for her; and In their inter-
walls Of rest and refreshment they
do not hesitate TO say %.
This habit "oTIaherty, Y. c."
shares with his countrymen. He
says all he thinks, and thinking II
the best thing he does The war.
he explains, has made him think
Mr.. Shaw gives us oF7aherty's
thoughts and his final conclusions;
and we read and chuckle and sigh
and chuckle again Then We form
our final conclusions
Incidentally We rejoice over
the only human being he II afraid
Of. He Is, indeed, 20 afraid Of her
that on his FIRST visit home-with
the Victoris Cross on his breast
a. Q reward for extraordinary
bravery-he dares not let her know
he Is lighting for England.
Are you toldng? demands the
English general, TO whom 0Fla-
herty confdes this startling fact
The scene goes on:
oTLAHERTY. IF you'd been
brought up By my mother, SIR,
you'd know better than to Joke
about her"
SIR PEARCE. do you mean to
say you told her that you were
fighting In the German armyf
OFTAHERTY. "I never told
her one word that wasn't truth
and nothing but the truth. ! told
her / was going to fight for the
French and for the Russians; and
sure, who ever heard Of the French
or the Russians doing anything to
the English but fighting them7
That was how It was, sir"
SIR PEARCE. "What do you
suppose viii happen when she
finds out 2"
How O'Flaherty's Mother Won
the v. c. for Him.
oFLAHERTY. "shs mustA-3
find out It's not that she'd half
kill me, as big as I am and as
brave a. 1 am. It's that I'm fond
Of her, and can't bring myself to
break the heart in her. Besides,
didn't she win the Gross for mel?
SIR PEARCE. How"
OFLAHERTY. by bringing
me up to be more afraid Of run
ming away than Of fighting. was
timid by nature; and when the
other boys hurried me, I'd want to
run away and cry. But she whaled
me for disgracing the blood Of the
OFlahsrtys, until I'd have fought
the devil himself sooner than face
her after funking q tight"
Following this tribute OT1ah-
erty utters q few theories on the
subject Of fighting in general,
which deserves the close attention
Of our fighting boys. He says:
OFLAHERTY. THAT was how
got to know that fighting was
easier than it looked, and that the
others was as much afeared of me
as 1 was Of them, and that II
only held out long enough they'd
lose heart and give up That's the
way I came to be so courageous"
Sir Pearce (the GeneraD sug-
gests that oF1aherty tell his
mother what the war IL about
This suggestion does not appeal to
the hero.
"Arra, SIR he asks, how the
divil do l know what the war Is
about"
SIR PEARCE. What, oFlah-
ertyl This is appallingI You sit
there wearing the Victoria Cross,
for having killed God knows how
many Germans, and you tell me
you don't know why you did It!
O'FLAHERTY. asking your
pardon. Sir Pearce, tell you no
such thing. know quite well
why I kilt them. I kilt them be-
cause was afeared that. II I
didn't they'd kill me.
SIR PEARCE. Eyes, yes; Of
course; but you have no knowl-
edge of the causes Of the war? OF
the sacred rights for which we are
fighting? Don't you read the pa
pers!
O'FLAHERTY. 81 do when
get them. There's not many news
boys crying the evening papers In
TIA trnaAhAa