ROSEMARY Goring's article about King Albert's Book ("A hidden treasure about First World War", The Herald, December 22) rang a bell with me, and I realised that it is referred to in Michael Holroyd's biography of George Bernard Shaw.
(Vol 2 pp357-8)
Shaw was asked to submit a piece for the book and the editor, Hall Caine, thought highly of it. However since Shaw had recently published Commonsense about the War and was almost universally reviled for it the Daily Telegraph refused to include the article. Caine was ready to resign the editorship, but Shaw withdrew the article instead.
Shortly afterwards the Commission for Relief in Belgium asked Shaw to help the refugees, which he answered with a pamphlet The Case for Belgium.
As 2014 draws to a close, it seems odd that a reprint of Shaw's Commonsense hasn't been published.
Incidentally, Albert's book is available in full online.
David Hamilton,
28 Borthwick Drive,
East Kilbride.
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