The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-09
The Prince of Wales Practically said
the Same Thing i'm Respectful
hut Startling Prose.
OTHERS FOLLOW THE LEADERS
AND BUGLES ARE NOW SOUNDING AID
VICE ALL OVER THE KINGDOM.
Uncertainty whether 1t Is the Nation
as a Whole or the Individual Brit
on That Needs Waking Up.
Correspondence Of the indianapolis Journal.

correspondence OF the indianapolis Journal.
LONDON, Jan. 9-Rudyard Kiplings
poem, 'The Islanders in which he de-
rides the English passion for sports, and
heaps contempt upon the fanneled fools
at the wickets and the muddied OATS at
the goals" is Kipling's way of saying what
the Prince Of Wales said in startling prose
when, at the recent banquet in the Guild
hall, he told his bearers that England
must wake Up" Till ne delivered into the
face Of John Bull this veritable bulTs-eye
shot,. hitting him at his weakest point. the
laureate Of Great Britain was all right.
Now he is. as one critic puts it-voicing.
no doubt. the opinion of the great mass Of
his countrynlen-"a fuddled fool in his
frenzy. spoofng the Times with his
rhymes" But John Bulls better self ac-
knOwledges with humility that Kipling's
point OF order is well taken. There is a
saving remnant amongst this worthy but
misguided people who believe that their
best friend is he who tells them plainly
what their faults are. An old soldier. writ
ing to one of the papers, pertinently asks:
Are we not, as a nation, allowing our
love Of sport to swamp the love Of coun-
try" and adds: Mr.. Kipling, in his ref
erence 10 the 'fanneled fools, is not gen.
tIemanIy. nor was the PSALMS when he
wrote. The fool hath said in his heart
there is no Cod"
Much more numerous have been Mr.. Kip
llngs critics than those who have stood up
for him. and one Of the former has just
said: * stands for Kipling, Krugerite,
Knave and Krackpot. This explains it ALL"
But against crack-brain and malicious as
saults Of this kind Mr.. Kipling himself,
and the true friends of England every
where, may contentedly throw into the bal
ance what has been said by Mr.. George
PragneII. acting president Of the City of
LONDON Athletic Association. This gentle
man. from his prominent connection with
sport. might easily have chimed in with
the adverse opinions which have been so
freely expressed by others of his guild.
But instead of this he admits, in a recent
interview. that Mr.. Kipling is quite right,
and that. as usual, he has struck home.
Millions of people who are keenly inter
ested In cricket and football do not, he
says. axe the slightest interest in vOlun-
teering during peace time. and in times
like the present shelter themselves behind
q small percentage of their fellows who
have gone TO the front.
\ STRIKING ILLUSTRATION.
To drive home his point this defender Of
AAARAA7 % NAAN+5
Brown is a great cricketer. Robinson d
noted football player and Jones a mere
efficient volunteer, and there is. he says,
no getting away from the fact that the
two former are the gods in the eyes Of
the country. Yet when the country calls
for d~efenders-as 1t has had to call and may
a~gain-Jones is not the fool of the party,
and the sooner the country realizes this
tie better. If half the time and money ex-
pended during the last six months over
ping-pong-the new parlor game-had been
devoted TO rifle shooting it would. he says,
have been more to the credit of men who
are living with the stern signs of war
everywhere around them. Has conclusion
embraces the very heart of the matter. The
only way TO stave off conscriptiOn is, he
saws. TO have a greater and more efficient
reserve OF volunteers, and Mr.. Kipling In
his own particularly effective way has
called attention TO this fact.
Into this new crusade for waking up Eng
land. so bravely led by the Prince of Wales,
others have thrown themselves besides Kip
ling. Mr.. II. G.. Wells is esteemed in Amer
lea as the autho of several popular novels,
Including one entitled THE War of the
Worlds interviewed lately upon the need
for radical changes this gentleman dealt
n singing blow at that English custom
which in recent years. regardless Of fitness
or superior merit. has committed the desti-
MES OF England and nearly all her Cabinet
Offices to the nobility. y nickname for the
present government is THE Cecil Family
Coach This is because there are so many
relatives of Lord Salisbury in it.. Strong
commoners like Chamberlain are rare in
high places: more frequently does the port
folio of Office fall to the lot of those aristo-
Gratis who go into politics as a diversion.
Upon this point Mr.. Wells says the central
evil Of the situation is the snobbish orgeni-
zation of our public affairs in relation to
London society, our base, foolish and disas-
trous acquiescence in vulgarity and inca
pacity in high places. and our hope lies in
Quickening the national sense of honor and
in the development Of an austere and reso-
Lutte new republic that will no longer suffer
this ANAL influential body Of mean rich
people to dwarf the d~estinies of our race.
THE THING REALLY NEEDED.
Another who has had something racy and
pointed to say upon this subject is Mr.. Sid
ney Low, formerly editor Of the St James
Gazette. Asked the question. How to
wake NJ England?'' his reply was. Does
England need waking up?" and he at once
went on to show. by the typical instance
which follows. that IL isn't England but
individual Englishmen who need 10 be
aroused from slumber. Jones. he said,
meets Brown at the club and shakes his
head mOurnfully over an expensive cigar
and says, The country's falling behind;
IT must wake up. sir-pun itself together
or the Germans and the Yankees will beat
us" Yes. my boy" responds Mr.. Brown,
that's what l say; the nations losing its
grit. Its energy, its . Waiter. bring
me a small bottle OF Heidsieck. Two hours
10 dinner still. old man; must keep this
Internal fog of the chest. II this weather
lasts ! think Mrs. Brown and / will have
10 30 over TO Monte Carlo for a fortnight.
Why don't you come and bring Mrs. j?
Business Oh. hang business: no good
shaving your life out. Besides. there's moth
ing doing just now. 1 don't know what
: were coming 10. The country's losing its
markets. sir. and that's a fact. England
Will have 10 @ and so on. Always Eng
iaHe, you see. added Mr.. Low; never the