"G.B.S." DEPARTS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 88, 14 April 1934, Page 14

"G. 8.5." DEPARTS

CROWD ON THE WHARF WILL HE COME BACK AGAIN ? NO PLANS AT HIS AGE From high up on tho boat deck of the Rangitanc, as stern first she glided smoothly and quickly past the Glasgow Wharf at 11 o'clock this morning out into tho harbour, taking cargo and a large number of passengers for England, Mr. Bernard Shaw, who for a full month has been very much in the public eye in New Zealand, smiled down upon the people who thronged tho wharf and waved his hand a number of times in farewell. As ho is wherever he goes, he was a very prominent figure on the deck, and it is no exaggeration to say that, though there were many wellknown New Zealauders and others among the passengers who had friends to see them off, a large percentage of tho spectators was there to see Mrj Shaw. He was the "lion." He.was hatlcss, and his silky white hair was disturbed by a fairly strong northerly wind, which snapped streamers, and, from tho point of view of picturesqueness, also affected tho departure to some extent. Mr. Shaw wore a jersey-sweater, light-coloured flannel trousers, and white tennis shoes, and he was in a most cheerful frame of mind, which was reflected by his broad smile. A "Post" reporter who sought to interview Mr. Shaw on the Eangitane before she left, and was down on the job somewhere about 9.30, had a rather interesting time, which, in the end, was not without its enjoyment. When a call was made at Mr. and Mrs. Shaw's cabin they had a visitor, and Mrs. Shaw, who answered the door, in a rather emphatic way declared that Mr. Shaw would not be seeing any journalists. Ho would be seeing no one. Mrs. Shaw smiled and shut the door. But later Mr. Shaw did see two journalists and also others. Ho was in a most affable frame of mind. COMING AGAIN? When he appeared from his cabin to bid farewell to his visitor ho was seized-upon. He appeared to bo rather eager to go back to his cabin, and for that reason.only one question was put to him at that stage. It was mentioned to him that in the course of his broadcast address in Wellington on Thursday night he had suggested certain remedial measures which he said ht> hoped would be in effect by the time he came to New Zealand again. He was asked if ho had any real intention of visiting New Zealand again, and, if so, when. The answer was typically Shavian: "At my age I have no intentions at all, because I don't know whether I shall be alive." And back went Mr. Shaw into his cabin. About half an hour before the boat sailed, however, he appeared again, and went up to the boat deck. There, as when he was standing in the vestibule near his cabin, he was a centre of attraction. He posed in the middle of tho boat deck, smiling in the sunshine, and allowed a Press photographer to { snap him, and while "The Post" representative was talking to him the cameras clicked merrily, and there were grateful expressions of "Thank you, Mr. Shaw.", . GLAD HE CAME. He was asked if lie had anything in I the nature of a farewell messago to give to the people of New Zealand. His reply was most emphatic. "I never give farewell messages," he said. "I am always telling editors that they are the ruin of newspapers." • '' Have you enjoyed your stay in Now Zealand'?" ho was asked. "Well, I have boon in Now Zealand a month," Mr. Shaw answered, "and one cannot be in a perpetual stato of enjoyment all that time. But I am extremefy glad I came." Mr. Shaw added that the trouble about New -Zealand was that it was rather, too pleasing a place. There might be a danger of it being overrun by the riffraff of Europe, and he suggested it might bo a good idea to instruct the Tourist Department to say something about horrors in New Zealand. ' "THIS PLACE AUSTRALIA." As to whether it was likely he would pay another visit to, the Dominion, Mr. Shaw repeated that a man of his ago could not make'plans. "Besides there is this place Australia," he added. '' Do you intend making a visit to Australia?" he was asked. ; "I don't know whether I will go," he replied. "They have boon shouting for mo to come. I can't go this time. Perhaps some day or other I might drift to that land." There followed a dissertation on shorthand, Mr. Shaw, who does his writing in shorthand, discussing the relative merits of various systems. After this, it was suggested to him that hi 3 column a day in the newspapers since his arrival in tho Dominion would be missed by a large section of the community. "Column a day!" he exclaimed. "Two and three columns a day!" His parting words before he shook hands and walked across the deck to tho rail to look down upon the large crowd upon the wharf were that he was sorry to be going back. Mr. Shaw talked with others on the deck before the trumpet sounded for all visitors to go ashore. As lilting melodies played by the ship's orchestra floated in the breeze Mr. Shaw, from the wharf, could be seen taking a brisk exercise walk down the deck. But he came back again to the railing, and as the- Rangitane pulled out he waved and smiled his farewell to the crowd. Prom friends on the wharf came advice to passengers to "look out for Bernard," and the famous playwright and sociologist was also enjoined not to "forget about that milk business," a pert reference to comment made by him in his broadcast address the other night. The Eangitane drew swiftly out from the wharf, and within a short time George Bernard Shaw was lost from view. Among those who went down to tho Eangitane to say farewell to Mr. Shaw was Mr. P. Fraser, M.P. for Wellington Central. On Mr. Shaw's arrival in Auckland, Mr. Fraser was the first to welcome him, and he was the last to bid him good-bye. LETTER OF APPRECIATION. Further evidence of Mr. and Mrs. Shaw's appreciation of their tour of the Dominion is a letter received by Mr. E. W. Marshall,.Wellington district manager of tho New Zealand Government Tourist Department. The letter bears yesterday's date, and reads as follows: — Dear Mr. Marshall, —We cannot leave New Zealand without acknowledging out obligation to your Tourist Department in the conduct of our tour. Everything has been done for us in the friendliest' and completcst fashion. We have had no trouble at all, and we .quite agree that we never had such a tour in our lives. Travelling worries did not seem possible; but you have ' achieved it for us. Many, many thanks, —Faithfully, . C. F. Shaw. G. Bernard Shaw. Only 4 per cent, of the brains of British people are fit to rank as first-class, according to one expert,