“Rude Mr Shaw”

Southland Times, Issue 22008, 6 May 1933, Page 16

“Rude Mr Shaw”

TOLD IN AMERICA. The world’s rudest old man of 77 years of age sailed away from. Los Angeles on the Empress of Britain. Ever since he embarked at Southampton nearly four months ago George Bernard Shaw has been scattering insults along the way (states Alma Whitaker in a California newspaper). Every remark he makes is equivalent to sticking his tongue out or putting his fingers to his nose. He has led them an awful life on the ship. Officers and passengers are still writhing in confusion. It began on the second day out, when a gentle little lady approached him with ship’s camaraderie, saying: “I have wanted to meet you, Mr Shaw. I am Mrs W. J. Locke, widow of the author, one of your contemporaries . . .”

“Really. And whom are you married to now?” asked Bernard, turning on his heel and leaving her standing. A travel club is also taking the world trip. So one day its president blithely approached the great man. “I am deputized by our travel club to ask you to give us a little talk,” began the lady in the usual ner“Why should I?” snorted Shaw, glaring at her. It simply ruined her voyage. In Japan he tried to dodge Nippon reporters, but, like our home breed, they were not to be denied. One of them nailed Shaw and demanded his opinion of that country. “You had an earthquake recently, he blgan, the while the reporter stood with pencil poised. “Too bad it didn t wipe you all out,” he added. In Honolulu the Chamber of Commerce turned out with full panoply to greet the great man. “I’m disappointed. I hoped you d be hula hula girls," he told them. In one United States port, after much urging by a ship’s officer, he agreed to receive the reporters, if they would line up like soldiers, that he might walk up the line and answer questions. The boys gladly agreed. He was fussy about their posture, made them all stand erect. When he had them arranged like a row of wooden soldiers he bade them good morning and walked off, leaving them all looking very silly and feeling very mad. That’s a fair sample of the . Shaw wit on. this voyage—and still he is pursued. These and many other stories were heard on a visit to the Empress of Britain and are vouched for by officers and passengers. No one has made such a specialty of insulting impudence as this whitehaired old gentleman of 77, who, in repose, can look positively benign. Charlie Chaplin says he is the hardest man to converse with whom he ever struck, and his visit with him was simply agonizing. Shaw was not exactly insulting to Charlie, but he was crisp and stilted—just made Charlie feel like a worm.