The Indianapolis times., 1928-10-29
SHAW DOUBTS
disarmament
TO HALT Wars
'They Can Still Fight With
Table Knives, Rabbit
Guns Shavian Reply.
PEACE CALLED BLUFF
U. S. FrantiCaIIy BelIiCoSe,
Says Noted Writer in
Interview.
PEACE CALLED BLUFF
BY HENRY T. RUSSELL
H7,,iAnd praSs Gfam Cnrrasnnndnnf

LONDON, Oct. 29.-"If they dis
arm they can still fight with their
table knives and rabbit guns, or
their teeth and claws" said tall,
blue-eyed white-haired old man
in reply to the question: Do you
think that the nations of the world
will ever agree to disarn?
It was during a conversation be-
tween George Bernard Shaw and the
United Press correspondent.
"Why am I never interviewed on
serious questions?" Shaw had asked
in a witty statement recently pub
lished.
''What about the effect of social
ism in peace, war and disarma-
ment2" was the query of the United
Press, to which the great writer
replied: "All right then, put your
questions and I wnl do my best to
answer them"
u. S. Frantically Bellicose
The Shayian challenge was ac-
cepted, with the following result:
DO you believe he was asked,
that pacts like the Kellogg pact
are of any use in the prevention Of
future wars?
Are you satisfied that the United
States is anxious to foster peace and
good will among nations?
Do you believe that her efforts,
past and present, will have any seri-
GUS effect upon the outlook OF
peace?'
"The United. States" Shaw re-
piled, proved in 1917 that it was
more frantically bellicoSe than any
of the European combatants, it sent
girls to prison for eighteen years for
deprecating war, and arrested men
for quoting the constitution. All
Christian nations preach peace and
goodwill-making quite fuss about
it on the 25th of December-until
the first shot is fired and them
In contrast to Americas peace
efforts, Shaw was asked for his
opinion on the soviet's proposal for
complete world disarmament. he
answered.:
effectively. When we turned it down
under cover of refusing to speak to
the wicked Russians we did not
foresee that Mr.. Kellogg would pick
It IIp again, and that we could not
turn him down in view of all the
money We owe his country"
Women Less Warlike
Ouestion-Is disarmament essen
tial to the future peace of the
world?
Disarmament is very SUI
perfcial remedy for war.
Question-Is public opinion sufn-
GENTLY strong to prevent future
warSP Do you think that if there
were another world war in prospect,
the influence of modern womanhood
could stop it?
Reply-Yes. If it is sufficiently
pacifist and plucky There is no evil
dence that women are less warlike
than men.
Then Shaw was asked what the
last war taught public opinion:
1T has" he said, taught us what
savages we are underneath our civil
ian garments. We are living in a
world which has found itself out,
and yet does not know in which di-
rection to flee from the wrath to
come"
Explains Savage" Meaning
The Shavian reference to "sav-
ages" encouraged the correspondent
to ask: could the last war have
been prevented if Socialist or labor
governments had been in power in
the various countries, or a ma
jority of the countries concerned at
the time?"
The reply was emphatic:
eyes, of course. At worst Ger
many and Austria would have had
O square fight with Russia, leaving
her western frontiers undefended
against friendly France, England
and America.
"Even as it was, If the kaiser had
been properly brought up as a
Socialist he would have known that
ne could have done this with per-
feet safety, as none of his western
enemies could possibly have made
an unprovoked attack on him whilst
he was fighting to defend himself
against an attack by Russia"
what" Shaw was asked, "IS the
present outlook for peace? What
dangers to peace do you visualize
at the present time? Are Mussolini
and Fascisn, Primo De Rivera and
the Spanish dictatorship and pos
sible so-called Balkan fareups' in
cluded?"
Shaw's reply was: "Italy is dou-
bling her taxes on bachelors and
offering prodigious rewards to large
families with the avowed purpose
of working up her man power (the
reality of armamen) SO as to be
able to hold her own in 1888. This
is fact quite independent of die
tatorship. In the face of it, and OF
cognate facts elsewhere, it seems
idle to discuss the outlook for peace
The outlook is still for war"
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