Evening star., 1938-06-05
BY E. NJ. SALZER.


LONDON, June 4 (NAN.A).-H
G. Wells takes life easy nowadays. He
lives quietly in his house overlooking
Regents Park, London, away from the
hustle of the traffic. He enjoys life in
his own way. dieting, playing table
tennis, strolling about the park and
occasionally debating to his secretary
some notes which he will one day work
into the fabric of a new book. When
you ask him what it will be about,
however, he only shrugs his shoulders
He confesses with smile that he
feels the first signs Of age.
st cannot walk as far as I could
without getting tired" he says. Run
ming upstairs has ceased to be fun and
must keep to the doctors orders"
During lunch, Mr. Wells had to take
some medicine. 1t seems to have
helped him considerably. For he has
subscribed a good deal of money to the
Diabetes Association to assist fellow
sufferers. His personal subscriptions
are augmented by the contributions OF
admirers. All letters, books and photos
sent to him to be autographed are for
warded to the DiabeticS' Association.
He will sign them only if subscrip-
ton Is sent to the association.
Finds Unrest Stimulating.
We talked about politics. A few days
previously I had met another famous
author who told me he feels so upset
by the present worldwide unrest that
his work is suffering.
Il find it stimulating" Mr.. Wells
retorted.
The conversation turned inevitably
to the topic of the day-dictators.
What is your impression of Hitler?"
asked him.
He is frightful in the present cir
cumstances," said Mr. Wells, but as
an individual I find him amusing. I
do not find him very abnormal. He is
an excitable, fanatical tpye.'
Have you any more sympathy for
Mussolini?"
II have not" he replied. I think
he is more intelligent than Hitler and
rather finer in fiber But much more
Of an ASS" I'm confirming the written
record of our conversation, Mr.. Wells
underlined the capital A.
On the question of whether he has
any sympathies at all for the dicta-
tors, Mr.. Wells replied mo political
sympathy" which may imply that one
day he might find some personal
sympathy.
In any case, if Mr.. Wells should be,
one day, in the position of dictator of
the British Empire, he has not yet
made up his mind what his first steps
would be-
Racial Laws Held Unjustified.
The conversation turned to the racial
policy of the Nazis. Naturally, Mr..
Wells finds no justification whatever
for National Socialist racial laws and
doctrines.
. What do you regard as the main
reason for the anti-Semitic movements
in the various countries?" asked him.
The natural disposition of human
beings to persecute those who are un-
like themselves" he replied, especially
If it can be done in an organized way
and with sense of moral justification.
The possibility of plunder is also an
added incentive.
The claim of the Jews to be pecu-
liar and superior people naturally pro-
vokes this reaction. In all countries I
know there is no exception. Even In
America and in Great Britain it is ap-
pearing."
How far do you think the Jews
themselves-and the Bible-are re-
sponsible for the present wave of anti
Semitisn?" I asked.
They ask for it. The Bible is a sub
conscious irritant to most reluctant
Christians. Personally, I detested the
patriarchs from the age of S."
Not in Favor of Zionism.
"Are you in favor of Zionism as a
solution for the Jewish problem?"
moi" said Mr.. Wells. Because it
and advertises Judaism in
its most provocative form"
Have you any suggestion to make
of how the Jewish problem can be
by whom (Jews or non
Jews)?"
only by assimilation" was the an
swer.
Mr.. Wells has many personal friends
among the refugees from Germany
and Austria. He is also very anxious
as to the fate of DR.. Sigmund Freud,
world-famous psychoanalyst, who is
under house arrest in Vienna. He has
pity for the exiled and understanding
for their plight.
But to the question of whether he
has any suggestion to make for a solu-
tion of the refugee problem, his only
answer is "a world state"
'If you were yourself exiled from
England, Mr. Wells" I asked, where
would go turn?"
France or America or Sweden or
he replied.
When I spoke to Bernard Shaw the
other day, we talked about the colonial
question. His slogan is Africa for the
Africans" Mr.. Wells agrees with this
view, partly at least.
Favors Colonial Consortium.
"Are you in favor of a colonial en-
pire, or do you agree with the slogan
Africa for the Africans'?" asked.
THE world is the Lords and the
fullness thereof" said Mr.. Wells. at
don't approve of the appropriation of
territory even by the inhabitants of it.
empires have been, sup
pose. a necessary evil in the past. r
think there ought to be consortium
for the control of politically backward
Mr.. Wells denies that war is a neces-
sary characteristic of nature. He thinks
that an Anglo-American alliance could
prevent any war in the world.
''If there is a war in the future.
there will be no winners" he added.
AS I left, I asked him, casually.
which country he regarded as the
happiest at the present time. I though
his answer would be England. But it
wasn't.
He replied, Bali"
(Copyrieht 1888 by the North Ameriean