New-York tribune., 1902-08-16
Mr.. KlPLING'S HOMILY
f, CANDID FRIENDS LONG SHOTS-ENG-
TJs5 ADMIRATION FOR PRESIDENT
RoosEvELT-OPTIATIS RESPECT
ING SOUTH AFRICA.
London. August 6.

command attention and profoundly iAilUe"NN
r,,hlic opinion He seldom says aught that ls
ss+-ering TO the vanity OF Englishmen. but IN
,-sriahIv what il is wholesome for them 10 know
sheu4 themselves. although they would not take
A. from, anv foreigner tolerant they may be
"a indifferent as they often are to hostile eX-
aeeiors abroad. He is the most outspoken OF
candjd friends and whatever may be his Nasa-
rios Of judgment. he is sincere and never oDii-
,-o other Englishman would have ventured 70
si,e At the nation as Indifferent TO the supreme
o,,estion Of imperial defence and as preoccupieo
,-i.b the fanneled fools at the wicket the
,,,,ddte5 oafs at the goals; and although his
message was misinterpreted by many as gen
o-.l attack upon national sports it challenged
o+.,+,on and forced men 70 reflect upon the
,,roodara+e interest taken by the masses in
scl,e, and football as played very largely by
.ae professional elevens and teams Neither
,-scket nor football has been abandoned IN con-
seouence Of Nj Kiplngs winged words YET
,ublic Judgment has been directed hy them un-
e--irglv 70 the lack Of balance and proportion
hetxeen holiday recreations Of the playing
colds and businesslike equipment for the battle
~ er,nire He had sent out. If may use an
o+he- Honerfc phrase. a long shadowing spear
ss a warning that those who before excelied
eu over the earth in valor and manliness shoulo
moi be unworthy OF their race
The sneecb which MI Kipling has been max
t-g in opening a rife range at Sydenham is
ouoted and commented upon as though he were
prime Minister Of England. He did not renew
his structures upon national pastimes. but en-
sercA5 with characteristic drclleTy and direct
ness his warning against public ignorance OF
the handling OF firearms. We DO not wait.
he remarked. tin hoy is eighteen years OLD
ord thinks he would like 20 be LORD Chancellor
before teaching HIM the alphabet Similarly We
ouebt not to wait till a boy is eighteen and
+h,nls he would like 10 die fer his country be-
sare We give him a rife and teach him 10 STAND
straight in q line We should catch the ooS
bright and early. when he is about Twelve
NJ Kinling hrmorously minimized the danger
IN this country and in this climate Of producing
&c race of inAamrable barbarians-" The man
who can read and write he contended. does
not persecute his neighbors by Immediately
writing book Similarly a man does not run
about the streets firing his rife because he is
. volunteer. nor does he fall into military for
rnaria7 whenever he wants 10 get on an oulri-
bus with amusing persifaEe OF this klno ne
won svrnpathy for a serious plea for systematic
rife practice by the bulk Of the male population
oI tf,. kingdom ana closed his homily with this
fronicai passage: so We may hope that the neGi
tine the nations fit 70 love US with the love
which has found such perfect expression during
the last thirty months. we may not be wholly
accomplishments which if they do not secure
affection. at least command respect" Mr.. Kip
Hng's Judgment IS sometimes Enthusiastically, but
he is q sure unarksman when his heart is in his
work This racy little speech VIII be quoted
and rerne-- bered for a long time. II can hardly
fan 10 multiply the number of rife ranges N
England and Scotland. and 10 impart a power
fuI impulse 10 a national movement for sys-
tematic gun practice.
NJ. Kipling Is indeed the prophet OF the
strenuous life for men and nations. At time
when even the strongest men in England are
showing signs Of softness. when Lord Kitch-
ener has made the most ulagnanmous peace in
English history. and when even Mr. Chamber
fain has ceased 10 follow his cold. calculating
judgment and has become almost as flexible ard
creduIous in South African policy as his irreso-
Lutte colleagues. Mr.. hipling is under TO Illusions
respecting the lessons Of the war and the proper
equipment for fighting the battles Of empire
He has perceived the real source Of Boer
strength in the prolonged struggle against over
wheluling numbers and superior mechanism of
war Il was the craftsmanship Of the indiVid-
nal burgher which defied month after month
the concentrated energies Of army of over
-Vo hundred thousand British soldiers, sup
ported by scientific arrnaments, unlimited hnan-
c.al resources and the wheel and cog OF mill
tary system. While British taxpayers had been
paving decade after decade the costs OF uneX-
ampled national armanents OF land and sea. the
Boer cattle breeders of the high veldt had been
training themselves by outdoor life. rough rid
ing and gun practice for 2 defence Of their coun-
Try so effective and withal so economical as 10
challenge the wonder and admiration Of the
world AIr Kfpling does not need to wait for a
report from a royal commission in order 70
learn the most important lesson Of the war he
knows already that the secret Of the marvellous
Boer defence was the burgher. with keen sight
accustomed 10 riding and the use Of firearms
Injured 70 hardship and privation, and, above all.
trained as rifeman 10 hit the mark He per-
ceves the new application OF the old truth that
battles are won by the man behind the gun
and forecasts the superiority Of national arrna-
ments in the future, when the main body or
citizens are taught from childhood 10 use re-
volver and rife intelligentiy and enabled TO
become trained narksmen. The Kipling call
10 arms Implies that even If Waterloo were
won on the playing fields Of Eton. the battles
Of the empire in future viii be fought in the
rife ranges of the United Kingdom.
II Mr.. Kipling represents the strenuousness
Of the soldiers of the empire he has an Anglo
Saxon ally in President Roosevelt The homiy
delivered al Sydenham 10 the accompaniment
Of The rumble of railway trains and the buzzlng
of a cinematogrsp ph machine appears IN PRINT
simultaneously with a racy account OF the Pres-
dents shooting bout al Oyster Bay with COM
mandant Snyman: and precept and pracuce
are happily combined Americans, fear, do
not fully appreciate the admiration and afec-
ton which their President commands in Eng
land Other Presidents have been respected by
virtue OF their character and high office, but
Eneiishrnen have not been attracted by their
personal traits. They like 10 read stories ABOUT
President Roosevelt because he Is man aIter