"WE WILL HAVE PEACE"

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 115, 26 January 1940, Page 2

"WE WILL HAVE PEACE"

BERNARD SHAW'S PROPHECY PREDICTION LAST JULY The following is a list of questions put to Mr George Bernard Shaw, the famous playright, by Mr E.. M. Sailer, when interviewing him in July of last year. Has war become more imminent now that all' Europe is armed to the teeth and Britain so determined to safeguard Europe's present frontiers? No. The peace at present is maintained by funk; anything that intensifies funk makes for peace. The polite name for funk is common sense. But rearmament safeguards peace. And it gives employment instead of the dole. A lasting peace is a dream. But any statesman who is not desperately afraid of starting a cannonade should be sent to a mental hospital. 2. Do you think Danzig will provide the spark to set the European oowder barrel on fire? Danzig by itself is not worth a war to Germany or any other Power except Poland. All the Powers want to settle the Danzig question without a fight: therefore it will probably be peacefully 7 settled —or left unsettled. But, of course, if Germany went mad enough to want to fight, Danzig would be as good an vxcuse as another. :5. Is Dr Goebbels right when claiming that the present "encirclement" of German}' provides a simile to 1914'.'

Yes, as far the encirclement is concerned. But there is no secrecy about the present situation. If that had been the case in 1914 there would have been no war. 4. What would be the most sensible tiling for Herr Hitler to do now liiat ho is faced by the determined attitude of the democracies? Nothing. We are all so desperately frightened of a full-sized war that we are all wanting peace, including Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini. Mr Chamberlain did the right thing at Munich. The alternative was to bomb Berlin and have London bombarded next day. We have never given in to the dictators. We made a wicked treaty in 1918 and covered Central Europe with military frontiers instead of geographical ones. Thereby we put ourselves in the wrong and mutilated Germany in the right. That is what has beaten us. 5. Can propaganda, such as is broadcast in German by the 8.8.C. to-day, help to overcome the conflicts that threaten to incite war? I don't know. It all depends on the propaganda. If it is sufficiently emollient it may be good. If, as is quite possible, it is self-righteous and irritant, it may make matters worse. (J. Herr Hitler places immense value on the weapon of propaganda both at home and in the c:icmy camp? Do you agree? Propaganda is a necessary means of achieving any political purpose that is lit for publication. But Herr Hitlc-" is terribly handicapped by his anti-Semitism, which is a crazy fad and not a iDolitical system. The Jews will be his ruin in the long run, even if the3 T peiisli with him —especially if enough of them perish with him.

7. Talking oi' home affairs, we now have a new woman Minister. Do you think that female emanci-' pation has reached its goal? No. Until every public authority contains a representative proportion* of women, no matter how elected or co-opted or nominated, the political emancipation of women will be incomplete. Votes for women are useless, as women will not vote for women. They don't want to be emancipated . 8. And what about money. Do you think it is overrated in our days? No. The great majority underrate lit, and are poor in consequence. The antique Grecian precept is stilt sound: First acquire an independent income, and then practise virtue. 5). People say you have made millions with your plays. People know nothing about it. There are no millions in work of the quality of mine. I have no time to bother about money.