SHAW AND CHESTERTON : A PEN PICTURE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1341, 19 January 1912, Page 2

SHAW AND CHESTERTON : A PEN PICTURE.

«. . A correspondent who enjoyed the de- , bate on Socialism at the Memorial Hall i between Bernard Shaw and G. K. Ches- ■• terton writes to the "Christian World": —The descriptive reporters did their best, but they were too rushed to dwell on the contrast afforded by the participant-!) in ■this brilliant battle of wits. Shaw, keen, quick, eloquent, with a more pronounced ! Irish accent than ever. Chesterton, slow, ponderous, with high-pitched voice, and I extraordinary, unconscious movements of the hands. Shaw, a thin, pale figure, grey [ 'and fatherly, continually putting on and taking off his pince-nez. Chesterton, l florid, fatter-looking than any comical [ cartoon makes him, gloriously benignant L and jolly. Shaw confessing his vogota.r- ---'. innisiu. Chesterton airily talking about 1 the equal distribution of slices of bacon. " It was a wonderful duel, which nobody t seemed to take verj' seriously. Ilotweon ' the combatants Mr. Ililaire Tielloc, the t historian, lolled back in his chair and f hid an occasional gape. The official short- - hand writers were the only |>pnp]e who i seemed to be in dead earnest. "Give in!" i cried some partisans, when Shaw, with ) rapier thrust, challenged Chesterton to 1 sav in what proportion he should divide . f-lie income of the country if not in an ; equal proportion. But G.K.C. had the I Inst word and made the last joke, and i (ho pyroteehnical exhibition closed with : congratulations all round. Which of the '. tricky debaters got the best of it it would - I>2 difficult to say, but. no one would | dispute the fact that G. 13.5. is by far [ the more eloquent and effective speaker.