U.S.F.S.R.

U.S.F.S.R. In London 60 years ago, when he was red-bearded and in his 20s, George Bernard Shaw joined the newly founded Fabian Society./- It was a socialist group, ambitious to reconstruct "society in accordance with the highest moral possibilities." The Fabians rejected the Marxian doctrine that socialism must be preceded by revolution. They believed in "gradualism," holding that the socialist principle was partially embodied in most governments and capable of extension through existing political parties.

Last week, a bit nostalgically, with the old flashing wit, venerable G.B.S. relived those early days--and almost forgot that he was reviewing G. D. H. Cole's Fabian Socialism for the London Tribune:

"This Fabian Society seemed just what I wanted. . . . We began by imposing on the Liberal Party ... a socialist program. . . . We . . . founded the London School of Economics, which has produced Beveridge; added The New Statesman to the weekly press; established an independent labour party. . . .

"In the course of nature, we young upstarts became an Old Gang. ... Of the seven Fabian essayists of the '80s the only survivors are [Sidney] Webb and myself, both octogenarians. ... Be patient with us: we shall not be long now. . . ."

/-Named after Fabius Cunctator ("the delayer," from his cautious tactics in the war against Hannibal).

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