Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW AT 70
Wttest Sage of the Age Is Conscious of Having Passed
Allotted Span-Prepares His Work for Posterty-Looks
as if He Might Outrival Methuselah.

his lob. Shaw heard Of 1t and gave
him a tremendous interview on every
controversial subject under the sun
from politics TO sex and from food 10
God. shaw got nothing out OF IT, but
the journalist made enough to tide him
over year.
A prophet Of socialism he Is in him
self one Of the most resolute insisters
upon the absolute sanctity OF private
property.
Try to infringe his copyright or quote
(for the benefit Of mankind, OF eourse)
long passages from his works and see.
Takes World as He Finds It.
But that is because he takes the
world as he fnds It, He won't let
commercial interests steal from him.
He will not even allow publishers TO
work. He reverses the usual order Of
things and pays his publishers COM
mission to publish his books.
But occasionally, II he approves OF q
person or q cause, he will write for
love" One Of the most notable Arti-
cles from his pen this year was done
for nothing, to give q fillip to q periodi-
cal Of whose aims he highly approved
and whose editor he liked.
Again he wrote for q few dollars q
4,oo0-word article advocating sterner
penalties for child assault and accom-
panied the typescript with an apologize
note in his own spidery hand regretting
that he had written thousand or 80
more words than he had been asked
for and begging the editor not TO hest.
tate to return the article II II ran too
long Is he expected he could place II
somewhere else
His Charges Varied.
This is the man who, approached by
a great newspaper group he did not like,
said: IN write an article for you. My
price, however. is $4,000" It Is also the
same man who replied TO an editor who
asked permission to quote some passages
from one Of his books, by all means.
shall want $4,000. though"
He Is almost inaccessible to interview
ers. But that is part of his game. He
knows his value and refuses either to
be bothered or to give something for
nothing But he Is q wonderful show
man and no other living man can push
himself into the public eye 50 success
fully as he can when personal publicity
serves his purpose.
He knows how. One day In his pre-
celebrity days. when he had 10 bang the
OA6 vi 0lu bCJ pCOptV W lISJCI1 10 I1-III
he was giving lecture In O Midland
town. He issued this description Of him
self: Il am a bachelor by heart. but q
married man by ring and book; an
atheist. o teetotAler, a fanatic, q 1unaor-
ist q writer, q playwright, social Demo-
crat and fluent liar
Young Ladies Curious.
Nov" he said with q chuekle. when
all the young ladies read that they'll be
maoly curious to see and hear this
strange bird-which is myself And
they were. Shaw has always remained
faithful TO those principles Of Snowman.
ship, and well indeed his habits Of ex-
aggeration and extravaganza have
served him.
He has been offered fabulous sums to
60 to America. But he refuses all offers
Il find the more I stay away the more
they think Of me- he says And his
revenue from the States rises and rises
self -sumcient bizarre, charming, savage
cell irontsts are savaee). impish earnest
generous, rude, courteous. q socialist, an
individualiSt an ascetic who loves COM
fort. q man of frail constitution who il
mt and hard as nails, astute, childlike
sonnber. tovial. preterna turally old and
abnormally young-there never was be-
fore such bundle Of paradoxes blended
In one human being to puzzle and ex-
asperste the world Of men.
But II he must be captured in q
phrase you can net him thus-a Jester
with a purpose.
Why does he not in his old age an1use
himself by continuing TO write PLAYS
like Back to Methuselah" and st
joan? Why Is he worrying himself
with political testements like the Guide
TO Socialism" and his last sermon play
The Apple Cart? Why does he con
time to concern himself in this way
with mankind. whose follies he alter
nately lasf1es and laughs at?
Because, although he is hard enough
at the core he has pity Like the phi
losopher Of Plato's Republic" he can
not, In the freedom Of intellectual light
to which he has escaped, remain alooi
back to the dark cave where the mass
OF men and women lie In mental bond
age and show q light which he hopes
will aid them In their instructive. cease
less cropping toward the freedom where
vision lies.
He has to preach. But he gives less
and less time TO It. and more and more
time to tidying up the loose literary
ends Of published work, so that when
the time comes for the Journey into the
shades whence none return he will set
forth conscious of having neatly round
ed of q full and complete existence
He has passion for orderliness and
would hate to sink into the twilight as
Balzac sank. with half his life's work
undone and much Of what was done in
dire need Of revision.
He has only his work to leave. He
has no child