The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-06
K1pL1NG, THE PROPHET, AGAIN

Establishment may not like the advice and
the rebuke they get in Kipling's latest
poem, but they will have to admit that 1t
is a very great improvement, consldefeu
as literature, over the very great-"ls-
take" poetic lecture he read them snort
time since. That composition would not
have been seriously considered by the
editor of amy country weekly IN America
had it been by an unknown writer. hlp-
ling's fame and name carried it through,
though it is not possible to explain how
the man who has written so much line
verse was self-deceived by his own pro-
duction to the temerity of publishing It.
So fiat and improbable was it that many
persons feared that it marked the end OF
Kipling's genius-that the poem was but
the dregs in the golden fagon from which
SO much good wine had been poured for
the cheer Of thousands Of readers.
But it is the message of the prophet
rather than the form that chiefly engages
our attention. And by the way, the word
prophet is used advisedly. Kpling has
taken upon himself something Of 1.-The
character Of Hebrew prophet He is
the English Jeremiah of the day. He
no longer writes verse merely for so
many guineas line, but to warn, to in
struct and admonish his people,
In the poem just given to the world,
Kpling again finds his theme in the lag
ging South African war and its revela-
tions of national weakness. He finds
the cure in leach man born in the island
broke to the matter of war That means
conscription. The volunteer system of
recruiting has resulted in sending to, the
front raw strplings while the strong men
have idled at home. He also 'reproaches
the British with supine Indifference and
ironically refers to the great interest in
sports, while the land lies "unfenced'
and the men, of the younger nations are
doing the work in South Africa
In brief, Kipling charges his people
with being the victims Of the luxuries of
peace and unopposed power. So long
was Britain easily supreme that her
people, even now, when the strength of
the empire is being strained, do not real-
ize the crisis and understand its demands.
But the only way to meet the stress to
supply the demand for strong and trained
men to fight the battles of the worlds
greatest empire is to train every Briton
to arms-so Kipling thinks. ~
Whether the remedy is SO heroic we
have no brief to say in this country. But
that Kipling, who has SO often spoken
truly Of the weaknesses and needs Of the
British empire in the last three years
and is so intensely patriotic, should de-
clare for CONSUMPTION is sure indica-
ton that there is something wrong with
England It is one more contribution to
the mass of evidence pointing to English
deoadence, temporary though it, may be-.
Spoiled by seventy-fve years Of continu-
Gus success in territorial extension and
surfeited with fairness of the control of
the worlds trade, the English have grown
soft and sluggish. Now the strenuous
times are come and they find it hard to
change the life of ease for the life of en-
deavor. Ability to make the change will
test the national fiber. II England does
not develop new energy, new methods,
shake off her sloth, order her house, find
great leaders; there are worse griefs
ahead of her than Colenso and Magers-
fontein~