"WILL I EVER MARRY?"

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 134, 8 June 1929, Page 11 (Supplement)

"WILL I EVER MARRY?"

"NEVER!" SAYS LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. UNO WOMAN WOULD PUT UP WITH ME." fi" ■■ ■ - ': ~ * I HOW HE TOOK THE NAME OF i , "SHAW."

(In an Interview with LOWELL THOMAS.)

Many people seem to think the impression that Lawrence has behaved in a strange manner since the war; that lie changed his name to T. E. Shaw, and Went into the Royal Air Force as a private eimply because he is disgruntled over the way the Allies treated his Arabs. Many think that he has been pouting like a child. I doubt if there is anything in this; during the time I was with him in Arabia he told me what, he thought would happen to the Arabs after the war. He said that French colonial ambitions in Syria would probably prevent the Arabs from getting control of that country, Which they coveted. He also believed" the British Government would be unable to keep its promises to the Arabs. He predicted that things would happen exactly as they have occurred. Furthermore, he said he did riot believe the Arabs would ever be able to unite ae one nation because they are much too fond of fighting among themselves. I saw him many timee after the war and he did not seem incurably bitter over what 'had. happened. True., he had hoped the Arabs would get a better deal. That is why he went to Parie and fought for them there. On several occasional talked to 'him about the honours and decorations which he had declined, and he told me frankly that his only reason was that he did not wish to accept honours in return for having put through a military campaign based on false promises. So 'his refusal of knighthood and other rewards was not merely the erratic move tg a man who wanted to get publicity Wj doing something spectacular and unusual. ' , I asked him if he ever intended to marry. He Wushingly replied: "Probably never! Because I am sure no woman would be willing to put up with me." For instance, during the years immediately following the war healed a curious life in London, going without sleep for two or three nighte at a time, eatin* his meals with as much irregularity as any Bedouin in the desert, and never knowing for certain where he would turn up next. When I asked him why he did not return to the Near East in order to help hie Arab friends in their peace-time efforts to build up a more powerful nation, he stated a reason which gives an interesting insight into the subtlety of his understanding. He said: 1 thought it was far better for the Arabs to stand entirely on their own legs, without having a European playing an important part in-the r affairs." And he added that, while an the heat of war the desert peoples were willing to overlook the fact that he was an outsider and a Christian, in peace-time they probably would .adopt a .different at£ tude. He seemed to feel that if he continued hie close assocw™ Feisul the Arabs would say: "Why g our King is merely a puppet m the hands, ot this°Christian. Away with theirt both! How Lawrence came to take the name of Shaw is rather curious. George JBerW Shaw and he have long been Sds One day this Baker of kings SS.tt.ssf SPSS teen a boy from prep, school, Ine, iaay looking son you 3ie heard' this and swore that he would that soon afterward, when he_ hid him B elf in the Tank Corps and later in the Air Force he enlisted as Private Shaw. Now he has taken the name Lawrence told me he doesnt think pominfcncf against his will Another crisis might bring him out of obscugty aeain "In the meantime," he said wftt emphasis, "I am entitled to resume m y former life of study and my former way of doing the things I love test. 1920, after his return from the war and from the Peace Conference; after he had Se two kings and one sultan and after he had Jed a great army and played an important part m freeing S^r»^^» gr Se hi aVS la-dTK *$Sta wa 3 the first word .that had passed between the two since their Siege days ten years before When Ss chum arrived this * what Lawrence JefebrSg. Sffi inta H tTe bungalow for himself onthe edfe of Epping'Foresi and was keeping

9 Hi hermit streak doea not prevent Mm from being a wit, a or" versationalist, a military or Xcilntly well balanced to capable of doing almost anythwg Iβ cares to it might be interesting to point out that Lawrence is a great lover of classical literature, of poetry and also of music. Whenever he is m England he spends no small part of Jm MtleV^Kf^ FfrvXSFS* of» fn his mind of any human bemg with H? s observations are what impress you "There are men in this ™ r ]d . who A r <; utterly devoid of political ambition, who care nothing for a commercial career and great wealth. Who abhor responeibility that goes with _ the high position in a military orgamsatxonjuid who also do not neem to care for Me. There are ascetics in the Occidental as a ? . the Orient, and may it not be ■possible that Lawrence is one of tfiat Jreed? (Star and Anglo American MS. . -_ w : . — ——