The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-01-21
WAR POEM.
British Nation Rebuked For its
Self Complacency.

British Nation Rebuked For Its
Self Complacency.
FOREIGN INVASION LIMITED AT.
"Do Ye Wait For Spnttered shrap-
mel Ere Ye Learn How a Gun Is
Laid:" Asks the Aut.or-Demand
Made of the People That They Re-
main Active ard Alert.
Kipling's new poem, THE Island
ers," which was printed in full in the
London Times the ether morning, is
copyrighted both in Great Britain and
the United States and therefore cannot
be published in eXtenso in either coun-
try except by the owners of the copy
right. In brief, it is a rebuke to Eng
lishmen for not having a larger, more
formidable and more enthusiastic
army. The poet declares that every
man should be taught to bear arms
and hints at the danger CT 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 ablebCdied E%nglanGers re-
NAMED at home when the first call
came, while street boys and colonials
were sent to the front, while the moth
er country presented them with ''com-
fits and pictures to help them harry
her foes:
And We Wanted your fathomless power,
And We Haunted your i. on pride,
Ere We fawned on the younger nations
For the men who could shoot and ride.
Then We returned to your trinkets,,
Then We contented your souls
With the lanneled fools at the wickets
Or the muddled OATS at the goals.
Given to strong deluSlOn,
Wholly believing a 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 Boosting,
And what is your Boosting worth
II We Erudge a year of service
To the lOgdliest line on earth?
Ancient. effortless. ordered,
Cycle on cycle set,
Life SO long u%ntroubled
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 deeD.
Men. not gods. devised it.;
Men. not gods. must keep.
The poet then warns his countrymen
against invasion. do ye wait" he
cries. for spattered shrapnel ere We
learn how Il gun is laid?" And he
asks whether the rabbit will war with
Englerd's foemen or 1.-THE red deer
hora them for hire" and then. when
llN GG>IS COLic-
VIII we pray them or preach them or
print them
or ballot them back from your shore?
VIII your wockmer issue a mandate
AEu bid them sire no more?
VIII We rise and dethrone your rulers
Because We were idle. both
Pride by inSolencn cHaStHHed.
Incidence pursed ~ sloth?
Nh ho onrfin1nc tho co1v,oti1r 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 of
war;" then fear of foes will have sub
sided in the growing consciousness Of
actual might. The race will be re-
generated when men, not children or
servants" shall be tempered and
taught to the end
Cleansed of servile panic,
Slow to dread or despise,
Humble. because of knowledge,
Mighty by sacrifice.
crazy PROFESSOR.
An unusual incident occurred the 9TH
err day at the University of Budapest.
A confirmed lunatic from the local
asylum appeared in charge of his keep
er and asked to be allowed to pass his
examination. He found examination
work quite c%ongenial. passed very sue
~cessfully and returned to his asylum
again with his diploma as a professor.
strayed or Stolen.
From the Conway ranch, four miles