New-York tribune., 1918-08-03

" L uUCG
you have seen--of no character you have
known. He is something new, in appear
ance almost benign and homelike in action
regular Browning gun with some attach
mcnts and ammunition chambers that would
delight the heart of the Western American
rapid fire expert
Ireland is never forgotten for a half hour
by the master satirist 81 insist upon see
ing what l am doing, while you prefer not
to see what you do, which is because l am
Irish and you are English" he said to Sid
ney Webb at one point in running fire of
argument that touched here and there upon
almost every question of ancient and mod
interest. And then there was deli
cious moment when Frey, the moulder, and
Shaw the artist of words, agreed as to the
material effectiveness of a half brick we'll
timed and aimed-a typical and honored
weapon of many an Irishman's conflict
1t seemed that during the whole visit the
conversation was to Shaw merely bit of
mental gymnastics, indulged in not to arrive
at any conclusion to elicit any informa-
ton, but purely for the sheer sport of the
bout, just as other men swing on horizontal
bars or climb mountains for exercise and
fun. 1t was so, too, to Mrs. Shaw and to
Mr. and Mrs. Webb, but clearly most of all
to Shaw. With Mrs. Webb he argued assid-
uously that schools should be abolished,
and suggested without quiver that the
teachers should be hanged, gracously allow
ing, however, that enough might remain
alive to teach reading, writing and arith-
metic, because these fundamentals were
found fO CT ;a+1
which, however, Shaw does not at all agree
with. If they found said Shaw, that it was
to their advantage they would teach that
two and two make five.
And so we two from America listened to
the conversation of man known wherever
human beings hold converse with one an
other-listening for three hours talking a
bit here and there by way of providing
marks to be shot down, like pin boys in
bowling alley, but with much more pleasure
and more willingness to see the fire turned
upon our targets. Nothing was to be settled
it isn't fun settling things, because that
ends the exercise. Less brilliant talk of
similar character might be termed persi-
fage. But the Tightening fash has no coun-
terfeit, and there is nothing with which it
may be compared Shaw was at play, as
were our hosts
Problems such as those of the colonial
possessions in Africa and the island de-
Tendencies of America were tossed off with
ease and delectabe dispatch, conscientious
objectors to the contrary notwiths standing.
The future of Gibraltar was but CONVEX
satonal grape, q trihe. l think the only
thing Shaw found thoroughly to his liking
during the whole search for conversational
material was the mornings war news, show
ing slight gain over the Germans
AS were leaving Shaw became solici-
tous for a moment lest we should see in
Britain only the presentable things. "When
I went to the 'front.'" he said, his eye a.
twinkle "they showed me only two gen.
erals. The others weren't fit to be seem"
AS we went down the steps and along the
historic old river. gray lead in the skies
and dull mist in the air, I wondered Just
how a man SO clever and so famous acts
when just he and the "missus" sit all by
themselves at the supper table with no one
at hand marvellng.