The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-01-22
SHAW TALKS Of
OF AN EARLY PEACE
Central Empires Can Afford to
Go ON Fighting For a Hun
dred Years, He Declares
In Recent Interview.

In Recent Interview. !
Constantinople and the straits instead
car at the expense OF the sublime
porte; Ii they agree that neither a Ger
mar nor an English nor a German
English ruler can be tolerated In
Greece and that he must be replaced
by President Venizelos or some other
Greek citizen with appropriate repub-
lican institutions-in short. IL instead
of Cabling about the rights of small
n~ationalities to be used as handy little
properties 10 settle poor Hohenzollerns
on, they embrace the future boldly as
the champions of democracy, then
their terms will have intelligence and
moral weight and be worth fighting
for. But II they aim only al u division
of the spells between King Twcedle
dunn and King Tweedledee 1t Will not
matter twopence to you or to me what
the terms are. provided they are an
excuse for stopping this senseless
slaughter and ruin
Won't Risk an Election.
Mr.. Shaw uttered the above long
statement with an air Of grave DELHI
GRAFTON. As he spoke his slight Irish
accent was accentuated and he gave
one the impression of earnestness.
DO you think" | inquired, that the
British masses have any more conf
dence In Lloyd George than In Asqulth,
and are you OF the opinion that such
men as Lord Davenport, of whom Ben
Tillet, the secretary of the Dockers
and Transport Workers union, once
Historically prayed at a strike meet
ing. God strike Lord Davenport deadr
Lord Miner, Lord Curzon, Lord
Rhondda, Sir l.. Maclay and others
command the confidence of the British
democracy
II don't know" answered Shaw.
All the gentlemen you name have
been careful not TO put their popularity
or that of their party to the test OF a
general election since the war began,
and they are not likely to do SO, espe-
clally since the result of the Australian
CONSUMPTION referendum has opened
their eyes to the fact that the pre-.
dominant sentiment reused by the war
Is simply loathing of II and agonizing
doubt whether 1t IL really inevitable or
was ever necessary"
IF you were King George, Mr..
Shaw" | asked, and had the appoint
ment of the cabinet placed unreserved-
ly In your hands, whom would you ap
point to ministerial positions TO settle
the present terrible crisisY
Shaw stroked his beard. Il don't
know what | should do IL | were King
George-aet as he does, | suppose" was
the answer. But IL King George were
King George Bernard, which | suppose
Is what you mean. he would do what
the kaiser's grandfather did by the ad-
vice OF Bismarck-that is, announc
that as his parliament was obviously
impotent and incapable he would gov
ern the country himself for the good
OF h people. He would then trump
Bethmann-Hollweg's lead by replying
that the war Is a most pestilential nui-
sance to us: that 1t Is causing us horri
BILE personal suffering and material mis-,
chief; that 1t Is doing the same, as we
know perfectly well. to all the allies
and all their enemies; that neverthe-
less there IL nothing physically or fnan-
cially impossible I'm both sides going on
with 1t for the rest of the century II
we are fools enough; that its apparent
popularity Is manufactured mostly by
people who make so much money out
# 1t that they find 1t worth while to
nance newspapers. written by cads
Tor cads, by idiots for idiots. by ignora-
muses. for ignoramuses; that 1t will
create by reaction so powerful a repub-
llcaI peace movement that If the kings
do not stop it there will presently be
no kings at ALL"
| thought for a moment and resolved
10 put a poser to him.
NOW l VIII also assume, Mr.. Shaw"
| said, that you possess absolute pow
er. What would you do IL you were In
that position to restore peace on earth
and bring about such a better under
standing I'm future that wal would be
extremely unlikely. not TO say impos-
sible?'
Pat came the reply: Il must refer
you to the publications OF the Fabian
society, of the research department OF
which l have the honor to be, as Dick
Swiveller said, perpetual grand All
human problems-except those which
are insoluble-have been solved by this
deserving body"