The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-10
KIPLING's POEM ON ARMY NEEDS.
British Nation Rebuked for It's self
ComplRcency.
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
London. Jan. 4.-Kipling's new poem.
THE Islanders which was printed in
full in the London Times this morning,
is copyrighted both in Great Britain
and the United States, and therefore
cannot be published in extenso in
either country except by the owners OF
the copyright In brief, it is a rebuke
to Englishmen for not having a larger,
more formidable, and more enthusiasts
tic army The poet declares that every
man should be taught to bear arms
and hints at the danger of foreign in
vasion. The poem opens with a rebuke
TO British self-complacency, in the
course of which is written:
Fenced by your careful fathers.
Hinged by your leaden seas,
Long did We wake in quiet,
And long lie down at ease;
Till We said of strife What is it?
OF the sword 1t is far from our
ken,
Till we made a sport of your shrunken
hosts
And a toy Of your armed men.
The poet draws a picture of Britain
before the Boer war. and sneers at the
fact that able bodied Englanders re-
manned at home when the first call
came, while street boys and colonials
were sent to the front, while the
mother country presented them with
''comfits" and pictures" to help them
harry her foes:
And We Wanted your fathomless
power.
And we Haunted your iron pride,
Ere We fawned on the younger nations
For the men who could shoot and
ride
Then We returned to your trinkets;
Then ye contented your souls.
With the fianneled fools at the wick
cts
Or the muddled OATS at the goals.
Given to strong delusion,
Wholly believing n lie,
Ye saw that the land lay fenceless
And yet let the months go by
Waiting some easy wonder,
Hoping some saving sign,
Idle, openly idle.
In the lee of the forespent line
Idle except for your boastng
And what is your iboasting worth,
If We grudge a year of service
TO the lordliest line on earth?
Ancient. effortless ordered.
Cycle on cycle set,
Life so long untroubled,
That We who inherit forget.
For England was not the work OF
chance or moments:
1t was not made with the mountains:
1t is not one with the deep.
Men, not gods. devised e;
Men, not gods, must keep.
The poet then warns his countrymen
against invasion. do We wait" he
cries, for spattered shrapnel ere ye
learn how a gun is laid?" And he asks
whether the rabbit will war with Eng
lands foemen, or "the red deer horn
them for hire, and then, when inva-
ders came
VIII We pray them, or preach them, or
print them
Or ballot them back from your shore?
Will your workmen issue a mandate
And bid them strike no more?
VIII we rise and dethrone your rulers,
Because we were idle. both
Pride by insolence chastened,
Incidence purged by sloth?
No, he continues, the salvation OF
England is TO be found in her men
trained TO the use OF arms. and he de-
mands OF the people that they remain
active and alert until leach man born
in the island be broke to the matter or
war" then fear OF foes will have sub
sided I'm the growing consciousness Of
actual might. The race will be regen-
Grated when men, not children or
servants" shall be tempered and
taught to the end"
Cleansed OF serviie panic,
Slow TO dread or despse.S
Humble. because OF knowledge,
Mighty by sacrifice.