New Britain herald., 1926-11-19
SHAW INDIFFERENT
TO nobel AWARD
Doesn't Care What Disposition
Is Made Of It

London, Nov. 10 R1'It's up to
the Swedish Academy" said George
Bernard Shaw in a telephone inter-
view with the Associated Press to-
day in which he was informed that
his rejection yesterday of the money
prize connected with the Nobel Lit
erature award was interpreted in
Stockholm as tantamount to rejec-
ton Of the entire award.
I'm not worrying" the dramatist
added. Let them do that-but I
am certainly going to be a most in
terested front row spectator in the
discussion which I hope will now
develop around the question Of Civ
ing prizes to- writer's"
Asked If he agreed with Sinclair
Lewis, who refused the Pulitzer
prize on the ground that prizes were
bad for literature, Shaw snapped:
Il don't agree with anything"
He said he wanted to see tho
whole subject threshed out in the
press. Also he was thankful for
Lewis action, because it had called
his attention to the Pulitzer prize,
which he had never heard of before.
He would not say whether he was
against the idea Of offering awards,
but felt sure general discussion
among the press and public would
be most interesting.
Shaw was in good mood today
feeling so splendidly that he talk
ed to his interviewer over the tele-
phone from his Adelphia Terrace
flat, overlooking the Thames.
Shaw, it must be understood, dis
likes telephones nearly as emphati-
cally as Rudyard Kipling and Sir
James NJ. Barrie, who has his tele-
phone number registered in his but
ler's name.
All telephone calls to the Shaw
house usually are answered by MS
housekeeper or secret Ny. He does
not care for interviea either, and
to make certain there are no in
truders, has an iron gate in front
of the entrance to his flat.
But he is intensely curious, and
was much more curious than usual
this morning-so curious, in fact.
that his secretary could not quite
satisfy him after the interviewer
had twice talked to her on the
phone, saying he had an interest
ing dispatch from Stockholm.
The secretary was told that the
Stockholm message was of much m
terest to Shaw, but was not told
what it was all about.
us 1t long dispatch?"' the secre-
tary asked.
Eyes, quite long" she was told.
"Well. wait a moment and l shall
see what Mr.. Shaw is doing
ShaW's Voice Thunders
Then, a few seconds later, voice
Numbered over the wire:
Bernard Shaw speaking. What
il if, anyway. that you have from
Stockholm"
He was told briefly that the
Swedish reaction to his letter &C
cepting the honor of the award but
declining the prize money was that
it was tantamount to declining the
entire award.
"Wen, we'll" he chuckled. III
appears as if I had started some
thing. 7 certainly didn't intend to
nothing of the kind ever entered
my mind"
II had heard of the Nobel prize,
7 believe, before I wrote the work
which won the award-whatever II
was-but I certainly did not try for
it.
understand me-" snarled the
voice, II did not try for it,
Here the author warmed up to his
subject and apparently placed his
bewhiskered face nearer the mouth
piece, settling down for a good chat.
Look here" he remarked enthus-
iastically. "How's this for an idea?'
And he whispered Almost confiden-
TALLY: Lets have it out in the
press
Without awaiting reply, he went
on to say that he most assuredly was
interested in Sinclair Lewis assertion
that prize giving had a tendency to
influence writer's to keep an eye and