The San Francisco call., 1899-10-03
KIPLING AND THE KING.

HERE have been signs of finchng in England
as the Boer war feeling has grown, Herbert
Spencer, representing the extreme Of rational
ism, and Cardinal Vaughan, the extreme OF super
naturalism, are at one against the Literature
and religion in all time have not forgotten the rights
OF the weak and have joined in rebuking the unjust
use of giants strength There has been asserted in
England feeling that it is not crime in any people
to assert their right to develop institutions in line
with their national or racial genius, aid have
gone so far to say that the day England fires a
shot as aggressor the Transvaa will be the begin
ming Of the fall of the empire This may be true and
yet the present generation may seem to in that
act and that day assurance OF the empires immor-
taity. Alter empires dead the historian go
back and find the beginning OF their downfall, but it
is usually unseen by those who are cotemporary
with il.
The aversion to this war shown by English thinkers
has evidently made an impression which the British
imperiasts feel must be reckoned with. Mr.. Rud-
yard Kipling is in the habit OF illuminating every
serious situation with fash of his poetic genius,
which lights the whole world at once. The failure OF
the Cars peace conference was sure from the mo-
rnent he published Adam Zad the Bear" We may
call it brutal, unjust inhuman-no matter, it shaped
the policy of the United States and England and they
issued from conference called to promote peace on
eaTtn ana gOOQ VIII toward men with Dut result
Of their alliance and that the retention of the dum-
dunn bullet in war because it is the crueest missile
that can be fired from rife Adam Zad the Bear
was abroad, and there could be no peace while he
ranged the hills
This country seemed to be hesitating between the
unselfsh purpose Of the Spanish war and a new
born greed for power and possessions and the glores
of empire. In that pause Kipling published his
white Mans Burden" and what to millions had
seemed national crime appeared as national duty,
and the brown has been disappearing from the
face OF the earth quite rapidly ever since
Mr.. Kpling had difficult task to form the Brit
ish conscience in approval OF war pretended to be
for the extension OF the franchise and liberty, while
really crush rising republic that Britain may have
rival in South Africa 1t must be admitted that
his poem is of less merit than either of its predeces-
sors. He processes to see the King come again in
Dom Paul. So he raises the warning voice against
letting the Beers have self-government in the homes
they planted in the wilderness lest the old idea of the
diviney appointed king shall take root in the Dark
Continent, and again to conquest the world and
rebind its chains on men.
The poem is badly strained It is cast in the same
stern mold Adam Zad but one cannot help feel
ing that it might just we'll be Illuminated against the
United States, because fix conditions to naturali-
zation and compel term of years and complete alb
juration OF former allegiance before can be enioved
az all That the Beers choose to fix the terms upon
which aliens may share their brthright is sign Of
the coming OF the king again is almost too fantastic
for poetry, and Mr. Kipling has not added to his
fame by setting up such allacy The hard truth is
that the lion and the unicorn want Africa and intend
to have regardless OF any rights which their holder
is not strong enough to defend