G. B. Shaw Wants Clearer Political Definitions

Chronicle (Levin), 21 August 1948, Page 7

G. B. Shaw Wants Clearer Political Definitions

-*» — — — — Becqived Friday, S.50 p.m. LONDO.N, August 20. Iii a ietter iii The TimeS Mr. George •Bernard Shaw appeals to the Gov'enimeiit To appoipt a select committee to settle British political nomeuclature. "We all lack a-eommon and exact dictionary and are at dangerous cros's purposes over imaginary* differences, " says Air. Sliaw. " 1 ' myself find it ixiiXjosslble to make mysolf understood, t'hough when 1 describe* myself by this •or that adjeetive '• I kuyw precisely what I mean. As a- citizen and oue of Ihe founders of tli'e British Fabian policy, 1 am basically a Marxist Com rnunist, but 1 cannot say so without being set down- as an infanti'le advoeato of catastrojjhic. insurrection with capitalism in full swing on Aionday, revoJu tiou jon Tuesday and Socialism in fuU swing on Wednesday.J ' ' J don 't wish to see private enterprise made a felony. On the; contrary i' look to private enteiprise for experiment and inventioh in' imjustry, and art and science as the genius in the leisure ,wliich Socialism alone can gain for ever.ybody. ' ' After this introduction Afr. Shaw proceeds to discuSs the present situatioxi in Germuny and j)°iuts out that -Mr. Ernest Bevin recently declared "speaking colloquially," that Britain has a "right" to be in Berlin. "Now; we have no divine right to be in Berlin," says Air. Shaw. "Nor has the Soviet State department in Washington nor the Prench Kepublic. We are there as invaders and conquerors as Mahomet and Joshua vvere in Palestine and William the. Conqueror in England. . There is nothing) to prevent any or all of us from withdrawing from Berlin if such an arrangement should seem expedient. Sucli arrangemonljs can be ranked as (lefeats only if they are fought for insteail of negotiated." Mr.'Sliaw then goes on: "1 am insisting that negotiation is iinpossible unless the partiestfuse the-same words I'or the same things and understand what the words mean. "The present babel threatens a war nobody wants eoiintered by a flood of conscientioiis objec-tion from thoso who tliink tlieir rulers are barking at the wrong horse as we did in the American Civil War until Kar! Mar.x protested, ,in South Africa until lbsen protested, and in Kussia after 1917 until our ])roletariat began setting up little imi tation Soviets all over the place. "T repeat T am- not here advocating this or that policy, partv or personalitv. I am asking all politicians, all partissans, and all eminent X'ersonalities to support my demand for a select committee on political •nomenelature charg ed witli the production of a political dictionary before the next general election on the commoii ground that logomachy Ccont enlioii aliout words) is Ihe verv. devil. Kven liars nepd a language tliat will enalile them to lie niiamhiguously. To the truthful the jireseid . inipossibilit.y of wording their messages without be.ing misunderstood is agonv. - ' l ^2. ; ~