Mr. George Moore Interviewed

Daily News, 9 August 1901, page 6, 1,322 words

Smith and Sons’ Boycott.

Plans to Revive a Language.

Two Kinds of Imperialism.

Mr. George Moore withstood the impulse to journey round England in a fishing smack, and so avoid visiting London. Nay, he has spent several days in a Westminster hotel, ere passing on to Bayreuth; and this gave me my opportunity. The author of “Esther Waters” was never better worth interviewing than now, when because of the Boer war, his opinion of Mr. Gladstone and many other matters has swung round. His eyes are opened, and he wants Erin’s mouth to be.

The Boycott

Interesting New Plays

Imperialism: Two Kinds

The Boycott

It was a very discursive interview. I jumped him from subject to subject. Before catechising the social reformer, I put this question to the novelist:

“How does ‘Sister Teresa’ fare with the world and with Messrs/ SMith and Sons?”

Mr. Moore glanced at me as who should say: “Do you think that will interest the public?” But he was obedient, and replied: “I hear the book has been very favourably received, but I do not read reviews. If a work does not come up to your own expectations, it is distressing to find the reviewer praising it. It is also distressing to find him abusing it. As to Messrs. Smith and Sons, for twenty years they have refused to circulate my books, and now, Mudie’s having thrown them over, they continue the war alone. By the way, ‘war’ seems hardly the word. Perhaps I ought to say, ‘brigandage.’ Smiths have now adopted new tactics. They take 25 copies of a book by me, whereas the order would be for 1,000 if the author were somebody else; and I understand that these 25 copies are put away, that they are produced only at a special request, and that the customer has to fill up a paper stating his age, address, etc.”

“Like buying poison at a chemist’s,” I ventured to suggest.

“Entirely. And the curious thing is that ‘Sister Teresa’ is a pious book about a convent, and one that has been generally approved by the priests. Apparently Mr. Faux, the librarian, thinks it would be undignified to admit his original error. So one wrong step induces ten others. Personally I do not care. But I am sorry for my publishers, who are interested in the circulation of the book. But I am principally sorry for Messrs. Smith and Sons. One does not like to see a large firm influenced by petty and personal considerations.

Interesting New Plays

Then I broached a more pleasant theme — Mr. Moore’s dramatic aspirations, and these promptly brought us to the language-movement. “Yesterday,” he said, “I went down to see Mr. Benson regarding my play, ‘Diarmuid and Grania,’ based on a great legend, the Helen of Troy of Ireland — a noble story of struggle and love, with destiny over it all. Mr. and Mrs. Benson were very pleased with the play, and they will produce it in Dublin on October 21st. But what interests me more than my own play,” continued Mr. Moore, enthusiastically, “is a one-act play in Irish by Dr. Douglas Hyde, called ‘The Twisting of the Rope.’ It will soon be published, with a translation by Lady Gregory, in our little publication called ‘Beltanie [sic].’ This is the first really Irish play ever written, and it will, I think, be very much liked. Dr. Douglas Hyde will play the principal part, and he is getting together the necessary Irish-speaking actors, with a view to its production in Dublin, where, by the by, Miss Mulligan is not organising a little series of Irish sketches. Dr. Hyde is a Protestant clergyman and a landlord, which shows that the language-movement is non-sectarian and non-political.

I induced Mr. Moore to re-state the main idea. “The mission of a language, he declared, ‘is to give individuality to a man, a family, a nation. It joins people together, like schoolboys' slang. Snobbishness was the cause of the repression of Irish. To speak that language came to be regarded as evidence of peasant origin. Irish will be brought back if people of culture reveal an anxiety to acquire it. My two nephews were the first to be taught Irish in a school, where sixty boys are not learning it.”

“Will you initiate me further into your plan of campaign?”

“If Dr. Hyde’s play prove as successful as I believe it will, my intention is to send through all the towns of Ireland a troupe of some nine or ten travelling mummers, who will give two plays in Irish, two in English, and Irish songs and dances. In the case of adjoining villages, the company will divide.”

“A delightful idea! How the people will enjoy it! And what a pretty picture on the green!”

Mr. Moore became profuse in expressions of unexpected gratitude. “Performances in the open — and excellent development of the idea! Thank you.”

“Then you were merely thinking of performances in halls?”

“Yes, and we must adhere to that idea in the winter.”

“Won’t you have to put your hand rather far into your pocket?”

“Oh, no; £200 will start it, and I look for commercial success.”

“But Ireland is so poor!”

“There’s plenty of money for this purpose. Certainly, the people are tiring of giving subscriptions to movements. But think of the strong position of our agent. ‘I ask for no subscription,’ he will be able to say; ‘I only ask you to come and see our show.’ If this properly worked, I think we shall make £1,000 in a year; and that would assist to found a theatre of music-hall in Dublin for the production of Irish pieces.

Imperialism: Two Kinds

Then we fell a-chatting about the war, on which subject I found Mr. Moore takes the just view. Incidentally, there came this spirited confession of faith:

“It seems to me that there are two kinds of Imperialism. There is the kind which would obliterate every race, every local custom, and every local language; which would put hot water in the bedrooms all the world over; which would make everybody speak the language of the ‘Daily Mail’; which abhors hand-looms, home industries, and all the handicrafts and arts; and which says that Morris and Ruskin were foreigners, and that the only true Englishmen are the Rand mine-owners. Then there is the other Imperialism, under which all States would be allowed to keep their own languages, develop their own characteristics, and continue their own industries. I don’t see any reason why States constituted in that way should not form part in an immense Confederation known under a common title. The other policy involves the slaughter of Chinamen because they do not buy a sufficient number of cotton goods. This government,” he added, returning to the keynote of his politics, “has already destroyed two languages, And note this — tourists are the last thing I wish for in Irelan; but see how important an individual language is from the mere tourist point of view. Americans sometimes complain of Ireland, ‘It is so like England!’ If the whole world be reduced to uniformity, the inducement to travel will disappear. All the charm of life is in the differences — not in the similarities. If the Japanese had seen Greek statues, we should have had no Japanese art.”

To conclude with a good thing that Mr. Moore casually let drop:

“One day I saw a great factory. At eight in the morning a harsh bell rang, and in trouped all the hands. At seven in the evening the bell rang again, and they all came out again. Yet it is sometimes asked ‘Why don’t the people read Shelley?’ If I worked in that factory, I wouldn’t read anything. When the end of the week came, I would go and see a dog fight and get drunk.”