A TEN-QUESTION INTERVIEW

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21124, 27 March 1934, Page 8

A TEN-QUESTION INTERVIEW

Mr Bernard Shaw at Rotorua WOULD PAY .€lO NOT TO HAVE SEEN TIKITERE ...SI'ECI.U. TO THE I'EEjS.! ROTORUA, March 26. Mr George Bernard Shaw is completing a week's visit to Rotorua, during which time he has visited most of the spots of thermal and scenic interest. During his stay here, Mr Shaw has refused to receive callers' cards or telephone messages, and has given instruction that he will be communicated with only by letter. It was only after a preliminary interview, in which the interviewer had much the worst of the battle, that he persuaded Mr Shaw to answer a list of written questions. When asked what he thought of Rotorua, Mr Shaw said that he had no intention of writing an advertisement for every place he visited. He had then just completed a tour of the scenic region of Tikitere, and with a wave of his hand he described it as "ihe most damnable spot I have ever visited," adding that he would willingly have paid £lO not to have seen it. Before the visit, when shown a photograph of Tikitere by a photographer who told him that he proposed to photograph him in the setting "Hell's Gate." Mr Shaw remarked: "If you have enough patience, no doubt vol: will soon sec me in the real setting."

Overwhelming Hospitality The first of the questions submitted to Mr Shaw in writing" was. "What lioes it feel like to be a celebrity in a country that is not used to celebrities"" "Very comfortable indeed, thank you," was Mr Shaw's reply. "I am having a sort of royal progress, overwhelmed with hospitality, guidance, and practical assistance, official and unofheial, from every quarter. I seem to be the most popular stranger in the Southern Hemisphere. 1 had no idea that New ZeaUmders were such good Shavians." Tf there was a note of irony in the last sentence it can well be overlooked m the sincerity of the remainder, for in his comments to friends and acquaintances here Mr Shaw has shown plainly that he does appreciate the reception that has bien given him m New Zealand. The second question was, "Do you think that the world's troubles will be cured by direct action, reaction, or parliamentary action'.'" This was Mr Shaw's reply: "The world's troubles can I'wiil' is crossed out) be cured only by long and laboured social reconstruction by thinkers and workers religiously devoted to the general welfare and ruthlessly intolerant of idleness and waste. The ways m which these workers will achieve the necessary conquest of political power will vary according to circumstances. Changes which have been made peacefully and reasonably in New Zealand have been made violently and even ferociously in other parts of the Empire. A uniform method for the world is impossible."

Rotorua and Hades The third question concerned Rotorua, and was put with some inward qualms, in view of Mr Shaw's disinclination to write an advertisement. It was possible that Itotorua might receive something that, was in'another category; but Mr Shaw was kind, although his impressions of the breezes of Tikitere and Whakarewarewa still plainly lingered. "Rotorua is an uncommonly pleasant place, though it smells of brimstone like Hades." lie replied. "It has extraordinary natural curiosities to show, instead of the manufactured attractions which are the stock-in-trade of most earthly paradises and their guide books: but I had better not mention any feature in particular. Local jealousies must be respected. It has been suggested that what is needed at the present time is a code of bad manners to arouse those in high places from the mental lethargy into which they are prone to fall." The next question was framed accordingly and ran. "Do you think that wc need a code of bad manners to stimulate thought among the elect and the elected?" This was the reply "No. Civilisation is dying of sheer' bad manners calling themselves religion, politics, patriotism, and all sorts of fine names. Good manners are supremely important in society. By the way, you seem to be civil folk in New Zealand, so you need not take my reply as aimed specially at these islands."

Culture and Agriculture "Do you think that in New Zealand culture is dominated by agriculture?" was the iiftli question. "Yes." replied Mr Shaw. "I am Marxist enough to believe that culture is to a great extent a mathematical product of industry; but agriculture nowadays is not all one thing. Peasant agriculture produces primitive culture: agriculture, as Lord Bledisloe understands it. involves a very high decree of culture, both political and scientific.'' Mr Shaw was next asked what he thought of the average New Zealander's pronunciation of English. Mr Shaw, it will be remembered, was recently appointed with others to give addresses for the British Broadcasting Corporation on the proper pronunciation of English. "I think the average New Zealandcr's pronunciation of English is better than the average English speech." he said; "but then it. could hardly be worse. New Zealand voices are notably pleasanter than urban British ones."

The seventh question is the one on which Mr Shaw will possibly be most taken to task. He was reminded that in one of his earlier novels. Major Barbara, one of his characters had claimed that poverty was something to be ashamed of. and he was asked whether, under present world conditions, he considered that this still held good. This was the reply: "It still holds good. Poverty is a crime of society, far more mischievous than murder, theft, arson, rapine, or any other breach of the Ten Commandments and the criminal code." "Do you think that in this country we are likely to avoid any of the mistakes of older lands?"

was the next question. The reply wus very typical but encouraging: "You have already avoided some of them: but don't, get conceited about it. You will commit them nil yet unless you watch and pray." War of the Future The next question was about, a subject upon which Mr Shaw's views will be of particular interest. lie was asked whether he considered that there would be another war upon a large scale within the next 10 years. "I doubt it." he replied, "The war of 1914-18 reduced itself to an absurdity. Technically and politically it produced results which were the very last that its makers ever contemplated or desired. Recent experiments in London demonstrated that an attack by air with poison gas could not be repelled, which means that London would have to surrender to such an attack. So would Wellington and Auckland, and so would Tokyo. A Napoleonic war under such conditions is impossible-" The last question was answered with typically Shavian brevity. "Why did you select New Zealand for your holiday?" he was asked. "Why shouldn't I?" he replied. "What is wrong with New Zealand?"