Answers to Correspondents. (1906)

From the March 1906 issue of the Socialist Standard

W. W. — Yes, We saw Shaw's Clarion article and found it as to almost one half lies, and as to most of the other half, blether. We know of no writer who can lie more readily and no writer who can cram so much blether into a given compass. The smartness of some of his fooling is of course granted and so long as it is understood as fooling, there's not much harm done. But quite a number of people seem anxious to believe that behind the fooling there is a desperate earnestness and a set purpose, which may, indeed, be the case, only the purpose hardly ever succeeds in penetrating the top crust of foolery. We should not worry about him. You doubtless noticed that part of his article flatly contradicted other parts, and you will find that future articles and speeches will just as flatly contradict all of it. His one consistent belief is in the infallibility of the Fabian Society and as this Society is practically Shaw, the belief is natural.

Blogger's Note:

I wonder what the article was? I guess one could do a deep dive over at archive.org and see if there is a collection of his journalistic writings from this period online, but it would be purely speculative. It would be funny if the Socialist Standard was talking about this article - especially as I dug it out a few years back to put online as a funny dig against impossibilists - but that dates from March 1905, and I'd be shocked if they were referring to an article that dates from a year before. Maybe all will be revealed in later issues of the Socialist Standard in 1906?