26 AUGUST 1922, Page 2

Though many things might be said in criticism of Mr.

Shaw's attitude, we shall only note that his vigorous picture of the condition of Ireland inclines one to wonder whether, after all, the accepted and conventional view of the nature of the Irish problem which has come to be almost universally accepted is the true one. We mean by the conventional view the idea of a high-souled, generous, and ingenious race boldly resisting the cold-blooded, hard, cruel, opulent oppressors determined to use all the deadweight of their concentrated stupidity and malice to crush their victims,. Irishmen were no doubt occa- sionally goaded by England's cruelty and stodgy maliceinto a--resistance too fierce and too bitter to be entirely justifiable. Still, even if occasional wrongdoing can be detected in the case of- the Irish, it has always had abundant excuse. That roughly has for the last thirty years been the plea for Irish outrage.