the meeting was over he asked if Chesterton would not
write his name with a diamond on a window of his store already graced
with many great names. For once Chesterton was at a loss for words.
"Oh, how jolly!" he murmured feebly.

Very different was it when he debated with Bernard Shaw with Belloc
as third performer.

Ayot St. Lawrence, Welwyn, Herts.
27th Oct. 1911.

Don't be dismayed: this doesn't need a reply.

MY DEAR G.K.C.

With reference to this silly debate of ours, what you have to bear
in mind is this.

I am prepared to accept any conditions. If they seem unfair to me
from the front of the house, all the better for me; therefore do not
give me that advantage unless you wish to, or are--as you probably
are--as indifferent to the rules as I am.

The old Hyndman-Bradlaugh & Shaw-Foote debates (S-F. was a
two-nighter) were arranged thus. Each debater made 3 speeches: 1 of
30 minutes, 1 of 15 and 1 of 10. Strict time was kept (the audiences
were intensely jealous of the least departure from the rules); and
the chairman simply explained the conditions and called Time without
touching the subject of debate.

The advantages of this were, (a) that the opponent or the opener
could introduce fresh matter up to the end of his second speech, and
was tied up in that respect for the last 10 minutes only, and (b)
that the debate was one against one, and not one against two (and
with less time allowed for him at that), as it must have been had the
chairman dealt with the subject.

The disadvantages for us are that we both want Belloc to let
himself go (I simply thirst for the blood of his Servile State--I'll
Servile him); and nobody wants to tie you down to matter previously
introduced when you make your final reply. We shall all three talk
all over the shop--possibly never reaching the Socialism
department--and Belloc will not trouble himself about the rules of
public meeting and debate, even if there were any reason to suppose
that he is acquainted with them. (Do you recollect how Parnell and
Biggar floored the House in the palmy days of obstruction by meanly
getting up the subject of public order, which no one else suspected
the existence of?)

I therefore conclude that we had better make it to some extent a
clowns' cricket match, and go ahead as in the debates with Sanders &
Macdonald & Cicely Hamilton,