SHAW'S SENTIMENTS

NZ Truth, Issue 538, 9 October 1915, Page 13

SHAW'S SENTIMENTS

G.B.S. ANSWERS SOME QUESTIONS

WHAT ARE THEY FIGHTIN6 FOR, AND HOW FAR THEY ARE

WILLING TO GO AND GET IT

What Say have the Masses m Deciding National Actions

George Barnard Shaw, the English writer has, justly or. unjustly, it i 3 not for "Truth. to say, earned for himself the reputation of being a pro-German. Anyhow, Bernard Shaw, who early m the war was nick-named "Bernard Jaw," has views of his own, and an American opinion of him is that his views are always original, and often enlivened with humor. But they are invariably based upon profound knowledge of his subject and an UTTER CONTEMPT FOR MERE TRADITION, conventionality or other people's opinions. To hear Mr, Shaw talk on any subject is highly instructive and amusing. But to "report" him from' memory after listening to him for an hour is a crime. One forgets three-quarters of the good things he sayß, and, unfortunately, they are nearly always the best. • He disapproves of you taking "notes," and rightly. It disconcerts him. Also it is a case of "one good thing after another," and the only satisfactory solution — for the interviewer — is to be an expert stenographer and "take" everything. However original, . humorous and philosophical Shaw's views on any current question may be, G. B. Shaw is a very successful author, and as a very successful author he is no philantropniat, or at anyrato G. B. S. looks well after No. L, and the fact that recently he applied for ,£2,0,000 worth of the British war loan script, indicates, at any rate, G. B. Shaw's opinion of the outcome of the war. However, Shaw recently was submitted to a cross-examination by a representative of an American newspaper, and the questions asked, together with the answers given are interesting and a more or less, valuable contribution to a discussion which the world over is exercising the minds of the thinking community. Q. What do you think of the war loan, Mr. Shaw? A. I don't think about It If a mfrn has to stop to think ab&ut so very obvious affair, his opinion is not worth having. Q. Is it wise or right for posterity to be burdened with both the interest and principal of this colossal sum, seeing that they have had no voice In the waging of the war? A. Nothing connected with war is either wise or right, EXCEPT PERHAPS STOPPING IT. All war affairs are affairs of necessity, not of wisdom or rectitude. Unless the war is as important to posterity as to our own generation, it cannot be' justified. And they will have just as much voice m it as the masses of the British, French, Russian or German peoples had m starting it — that is, no voice at all. Q. Were you Chancellor of the Exchequer, how would you raise money to conduct the war? WOULD SEIZE INCOME. A. By confiscating all that part of the national income that is not engaged In maintaining a reasonable standard of life among those who are serving the country m one capacity or another, or who, as children, are being prepared for service, or, as veterans, have done their share; m a word, all that pant -which is not wasted. This would give me probably from five to seven hundred millions a year. I may add that I should do exactly the same m peace. Q. Are you of the opinion that a new and formidable number of non-produc-ers, investors, living on the interest of the war loan, will arise whose existence will contribute enormously to the impoverishment of the working class?* A. Not a new class. The "fundholders," so vehemently denounced by Cobbett, came Into existence during the campaigns of Marlborough and the Napoleonic ware, They will not necessarily impoverish the working classes, but they will pervert their labor to a great extent unless their creditor, the Government,. takes back with the left hand what it pays with the right by means of income tax and supertax. Q. Do you think that national thrift as recommended to 'the masses — that is. that they should spend less money on food, clothe.*, amusements niul tho llko — If generally followed, iB likoly to enrich the nation? A. Certainly not. The masses are the nation, and they starva the nation IF THEY STARVE THEMSELVES. Tho most patriotic action done ! n England during this war was the refusal of the Welsh miners to woric for three and fourpence a day. The masses do not spend enough, and the classes upend a great deal too much, on themselves. Q. If tho working class of Great Britain were nil of them tcototullera, vegetarians uuil non-smokers, as you are, Mr. Shaw, do you think they would he earning more wages? A. They would probably not be working under tho -wage system at all; but If they were, they would insist on a much higher standard of subsistence. At present, when a man has enough beer ami tobacco, he thinks ho has enough of everything. When he la sober, he knows better. Q. Do you consider that after tho conclusion of tho war wo will, as !i nation, po through yours of poverty for the majority of the people? A. That depends on who pays for the war. If the co.st In thrown on the rljrht shoulders, nobody nceil be a penny the worse a.s far 'as money Is concerned, oxcopt the Idlers, who would bo much better and happier If they hud 10 work for their living like the rest of us. SHOULD DOUBLE EXPENDITURES. Q. Are you of the opinion that It l;i wlat) of the Government to rf3trict ex- j pemliture on education, science and ] municipal work generally? I A. Of course not, Such restriction. 1 ; j are the most ruinous extravagances. Wo should double our expenditure m these directions at once. If we had done so twenty. years <»jfo wo should be surprising the Germans and copying them. 0. If ll>c allies tiro victorious, would you advocate the exaction of a war Indemnity from Gcrmuny and Austria? A. No. Tho IS7I Indemnity all but ruined. Germany, nnd provided ihe l-'reneh peasantry with a first-clans In- ; yea linen t. Germany la ono of our beat

customers, and it will not pay us to make her bankrupt. If we make Germany tidy up m Belgium and the north of France, there will be nothing left for Indirect damages. Q. Do you think that, after the war, German and Austrian goods should be taxed, and that our free trade methods with regard to these countries should be disregarded? A. Most certainly not. The one justification of our command of the sea is free trade; it is the sole and sufficient answer to those who class British navalism with Prussian militarism as a danger to THE FREEDOM OF THE WORLD. If we -wish to exclude German and Austrian goods, we can simply forbid their importation, if we are too lazy to produce equal or superior articles for ourselves. But to allow them to come m by paying a tax, thereby only raising their price and giving them a certificate of superiority at the same time, would be too silly to be patiently discussed. NEUTRAL DUTY TO END WAR. Q. Finally, Mr. Shaw, what steps would you take to bring about a satisfactory peace? A, None at all. You might as well ( ask me what steps I would take to [ establish, comfortable . hotels m the moon. The jdb will not be placed m imy hands. I am one of the belligerents and cannot stop until the enemy stops. It is for the neutral countries to combine to ask the belligerents what they are fighting for, as the war is a serious annoyance to their neighbors. Until the belligerents make up their minds as to what exactly they want, and how

LOCKIE GANNON (Consulting Engineer, Auckland). He's known far and near as consulting engineer; And if your borough has a job to do, That calls for engineering, we advise you, nothing fearing, That Lockie Gannon's Just the very man for you. far they are prepared to go to secure it, nothing can bo done. When the cleverest of the belligerents admits that he cannot go on indefinitely, that he Is face to face with bankruptcy, and that as all the others know quite well that they are m the same fix, then It will bo time to discuss terms of peace. Until a supernational legislature and tribunal is constituted, no peace can possibly be conclusive. But while war lasts as an institution, no nation can, without a confession of cowardice, demand a conclusive peace and claim to kick an, enemy to death when he is down. England, I hope, la ready to fight Germany ten times over In a just quarrel. No gentleman could take any other position.