Writers

19

George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) on Japan, 19341

BERNARD F. DUKORE2

George Bernard Shaw On 16 December 1932, George Bernard Shaw and his wife Charlotte began a round-the-world cruise on the Empress of Britain. Their itin- erary included and Japan. The Shaws did not return to England until April 1933. In 1934, they embarked on another long sea voyage, destination New Zealand. On the return trip, GBS wrote an article about Japan. Until now, it has remained unpublished. A brief chro- nology might help to place Shaw’s article in perspective. On 6 February 1933, the Irish-born dramatist began to compose a play, On the Rocks, which concerns the Great Depression and the political-economic measures that might save England, his adop- tive country, as well as those that were continuing to ruin it. By 11 February, when he visited Hong Kong, seventeen months had passed since forces of the Japanese Empire had invaded Manchuria. On the 13th, The South China Morning Post reported his prediction that Japan would take Manchuria and that the League of Nations would be unable to prevent the seizure.3 The following day, the same paper carried a story of his address at Hong Kong University, advising students to become Communists 4 - an

250 GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (1856–1950) admonition given while the Kuomintang, under Chiang Kai-shek, was trying to destroy the Chinese Communists. Among GBS’s exhortations, as quoted by in Shen Bao, 17 February 1933, was: ‘If you don’t become a red revolutionary at the age of twenty, you will become a hopeless fossil when you’re fi fty. If you try to become a red revolutionary when you’re twenty, then you may have the chance of not falling behind the times when you get to forty.’5 On 15 February, the Shaws left Hong Kong for , into which refugees were fl eeing from invading Japanese soldiers. In Shanghai, he met the widow of Sun Yat-sen. Next, he went to other cities, including Beijing (then pronounced and anglicized Peking, which he pronounced by its then other anglicized name, Peiping). While there, GBS and Charlotte decided to view the Great Wall. The best way to see it, he insisted, was from an airplane, which would provide a more expansive vista than any from the ground. As the aircraft available to them, a biplane with open-air seats, fl ew over the destination, the Shaws saw not only the Great Wall but also a battle between Chinese and Japanese armies. According to one report, GBS was horrifi ed at the sight and ordered the pilot to turn back, which he did; according to another, he was struck dumb until the fl ight ended, whereupon he thanked heaven for their safe return.6 In Beijing, Shaw received a visit from Kimura Ki, a Japanese journalist who followed him from Shanghai, where he met Shaw at Madame Sun’s home. Kimura, who had lived in Europe and under- stood English literature, had written a background article on Shaw for the Yomiuri Shimbun in advance of GBS’s forthcoming visit: he hoped to become the interpreter of Shaw’s ideas for his country- men. Since GBS’s chief concern when he met Kimura again was the latter’s safety, he advised Kimura to leave Beijing, which was unsafe for a Japanese.7 On the night of 28 February the Empress of Britain, carrying the Shaws, anchored at Beppu. The next day, it went to Kobe. To report- ers, GBS denounced the ten to twelve-hour working day, urged the adoption of Communism, and warned Japan against another world war.8 He visited other cities, including Osaka and Yokohama. Since Charlotte was ill, GBS went to Tokyo without her. Among the people he met there were the War Minister, General Araki, with whom, on 7 March, he discussed slums, warfare and militarism, and the Prime Minister, Saito¯ Makoto, with whom, on 8 March, he talked privately for fi fteen minutes.9 The following day, the Empress of Britain left Japan. On 4 July 1933, GBS completed the play he had begun fi ve days before he arrived in Hong Kong, On the Rocks. It contains a few scattered references to Japan, such as the English Prime Minister’s comment, in Act 1 on the large number of battle- ships Japan demanded. More pertinent to GBS’s travels, however, are

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