New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-10-01
4 KIPLTNG LETTER.
His Compliments to a French Stu
dent of the British Empire.

N Rooert d'Humieres recently published a
book called Tile ct rEmpire de Grande-Bre-
tagne" which Mr.. Kipling read with more Inan
ordinary interest. He wrote to the author ex-
pressing his appreciation. and Offering some
remarks which lend certain piquancy 10 MS
letter lately printed in Figaro. FROM the
standpoint of & native he writes, Il am espe-
cially delighted with your homage to the energy
of the race-some amongst us are sometimes
tempted to doubt It. There exists-and con-
graduate myself upon your not having perceived
it-an England which. ruined by excess or wei
fare, is sleepy, and because she shores holshS
fmagines that she is thinking"
Mr. Kipling finds the French authors COM
ments on the British army very just. above
ALL" he says, you have put your finger upon
a vital point in our system when you speak OF
the soldiers who understand that they must not
understand think you touch there the secret
of many of cur successes as well as of many Of
our failures This is the first thing we teach to
boys"
Naturally Mr.. Kiplng was especially interest,"
ed in what NJ. d'Humieres had to say about the
country in which he was brought UP. Your
studies of India" the letter runs, have been
pure rapture to me, particularly what you say
about Radjputana, where I wandered when
was a youth, over Chittore, Jeypore and so
many other places. I know very little concern
ing Southern India which has fascinated you
although a large part of the poetry of dead
India lies, there. 1 wish that you could have
seen something of the new India, the India OF
the mill and the railroad and of the impertur-
bable Oriental. moving amid modern machinery
and worshipping his gods under the shadow OF
boilers and locomotive depots. That India IS
not beautiful, but it is significant The novel
lists characteristic view of the Importance Of
efr Nrcrlvy in fra
following passage
Believe me I agree with all my heart in what
you say of the high value must attach 70 9
good understanding between our two countrleS; INC
hour but in the hope OF tomorrow. The two Psf3,
Piles. it seems to me, complement each ether IN
even though IL were otherwise. we must remember
Europe that il would be wise for the two nations
who are messengers Of human enfranchisement
deal with enslaved people. the sons Of lands where
the WORD , OF King Is aP ABS d,s w Ses qared
a la moderne' Can you doubt it?
Mr.. Kiplng glances at the French authors
comments on the GOODNESS OF the British tenn
permanent, pointing out that chastity is not, with
his countrymen. a mere matter OF cant 1T is
an administrative necessity" he says. Imposed
by the density Of population Imagine country
settled the rate of four hundred persons to the
square mile. those persons being lmbued with q
refined and militant sensuality." A Ioosening Of
the bonds would be, he maintains. simply dis
astrous, and he reminds his correspondent that
the British are a practical nation. He has but
one grievance against NJ. d'Humieres. but that
he says is grave You have said that adore
Ofenbachl Though I not a musician.
claim to possess some obscure notion Of agree
able sounds, and I afraid that you have mis-
understood me. No. not Onenbach. never Omen
bach. except hand organs 10 give rest
from the songs OF the music halls-my own. per-
haps! I would prefer to be the aggressive i'm
perialist OF rumor rather than worshipper Of
Onenbach" We sorry to read this allusion
to one OF the cleverest OF modern musicians We
do not ask Mr.. Kipling to adore Onenbach. but
If he regards him with contempt he is making a
grave mistake. and does not know how much
pleasure he is missing.