Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-02

Raising question as TO George Ber-
nard Shaw's seriousness of purpose in
coming to the defense of Sinclair
Lewis address on receiving the Nobel
prize for literature, Americans show
tendency to suspect that the British
humorist is taking advantage of an
opportunity to share the spotlight with
the author from this side of the Allan
tic. Mr.. Shaw's statement that Ito
win the undying devotion of Ameri-
cans" one has only to hold them up to
ridicule,' is treated as spoofing.
Now up leaps Shaw" says the Cleve-
land Plain Dealer, ito cheer on the
red-haired lad from Main street. Can
it be he is just bit jealous of the
attention Lewis is getting and fearful
he'll steal some of the Shavian thunder?
At any rate, he tells the world he is
careful never to say civil word to
the United States with the result that
they Just adore me- This tip from an
old hand may be gratefully received
by the younger author, who himself
seems quite capable of winning fame
and wealth by judicious application @
vitriol. Yet ShaW's invective would be
more effective if anybody took him
seriously. He suffers under the burden
Of every writer who acquires reputa-
ton fer wit and is d15mayed when
the audience insists upon laughing
wrath"
Placing emphasis on the function of
the smile IN human affairs, the Kansas
City Star offers the comment on his
utterance: &c. 3. Shaw says the Amer
lean people adore MIN because he has
scoffed at them, and they will go on
adoring until, in moment of senile
sentimentality,' he says something nice
about them, when they will drop him
Ia taf Shaw
been scolding Americans? Probably most
of them didn't know it. But those who
did know it haven't minded because
the eminent playwright always has
been careful to follow the classic adj
monition of the Western cowpuncher,
When you call me that, smile ;"
We've a notion that Mr.. Shaw is
spoofiing u.s." declares the Providence
Bulletin. THE chief reason he gets
away with it is that no one takes him
seriously In the first place no one
knows exactly what he means. Most
Americans-and Englishmen did too
until age endowed him with certain
sobriety-think that he doesn't know
exactly what he means himself. AS for
Dickens winning us by his ridicule, he
did no such thing. He made us mad
as hops-so mad that hundreds of Mid
western patriots to this day will not
read Martin Chuzzlewit' nor the Amer
lean Notes He won us through other
qualities which we found irresistible.
OF course it IS very f1attering of Mr..
Shaw thus to characterize us. (He
assumes, we hope, that we know when
we are being made fun Of 1t is indeed
a superb quality of character which
enables one to rise above ridicule. But
we cannot help feeling that he general
ICES upon insufficient data. The point
is that we have no artistic solidarity
and assume that our critics refer to
the other fellow. AS a matter of fact,
we're extremely sensitive-blister at a
stroke"
Quoting Shaw's boast, the New
Orleans Morning Tribune remarks: "If
Americans can like that, it proves that
Shaw has really learned his adulation
It's only one PLAYER in million who
still win" The Pocatello Tribune holds
that ''the difference between Mr.. Shaw
and Mr.. Lewis is that Mr.. Shaw does
all his scofhng with complete detach-
ment and with complete good humor.
while Mr.. Lewis gets himself all worked
up and feels righteously indignant about
it, and sometimes makes an exhibition
of himself" The Appleton Post-Cres-
cent suspects Mr.. Shaw's remarks on
Mr. Lewis speech "emanated from the
same bump of the Uranium that in
duced him to delve into the character
istics of one Gene Tunney with whom
he spent considerable time in an effort
to solve the gentleman's standing
among American literati"
x \ X
at is toe bad" laments the Fort
Worth Record Telegram, that George |
Bernard Shaw could not have been |
llafn rel Ixy Awe rir Sc
Phineas T. Barnum If he could have |
been the author of the great Ameri- |
canism, The public likes to be hum |
bugged,' he would now be the author |
of the greatest epigram Of the century. |
There was a distinct utilitarian value |
to the literary gem. Barnliin demon
strated it. If he had not, there would |