Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-04


- CDYARD KIPLING is now en-
joying a great vogue in France,
~ which is due largely to the
nerve and fidelity with which
his translator. NJ. ~Fabulet, mas
done his work. Since Kipling was awarded
the Nobel prize attention has been direct
ed to him afresh. and various writers in
the Paris press have been explaining him.
clarifying him, accounting for his univer.
sal acceptance by his own land as the
poet and spokesman of British imperial
ism. and theorizing as to why France has
produced no man who fills similar role
there. Ernest juliet. in the Eclair. ar
rives at the conclusion that it is because
in France no large distinction prevails be-
tween patriotism and politics. and every
achievement that concerns the nation is
judged from Bipartisan standpoint.
The particular niche that Kipling &C.
cuples-literature' is poor, mean way of
describing it-comes." he says. from
this very fact that the Englishman can
conceive of patriotism without politics.
No doubt the man whom Sweden has
honored is the high priest of imperialism,
and has no words with which to tickle
Little Englanders. At the same time he Is
the spokesman of the nation, the lyrical
commentator of the British renaissance
which is the result of a wider conception
of the inheritance of empire.
Tine nation that honors without cavil
and indecent party conflict, the services of
a Lord Cromer and Kitchener. of Lord
Roberts and other generals and empire
makers.O which Is ever ready to vote a
handsome money grant to it's national
servants. is entitled to its kipling and in
deed produces him. Here, alas; politics
weigh in the balance the deeds good or
bad of proconsuls, and the scales go
down or Up very much as the parties
in hO oh. hnr
The laudat:on of Kipling in France re-
Y+sds one of the peans of praise that were
N3%ered upon him in England some
WARS ago. After Shakespeare and De-
ifoeN' writes Vicomte de Vogue, the ceIe-
braked adademicion. in the Figaro. mo
enc )helps us to understand the British
miracle as kiplng does. he expresses and
represents force which dominates the
world His books bring to mind the sea-
grit rofk 81 Gibraltar. bristlng with cam
nonLguarded by gentlemen who play ten
-Hss. drink whisky. think little and are
each and all ready to suffer atrocious
death before relaxing their grip of a piece
or the world on which they have laid
A Yet we can hear Kipling gibe at them.
Ffie seems to say. I know them They are
very stupid. But they are Britain. And
Deity constructed clumsily the British
mach1ne of empire. Yet He has never
bult inner one since Rome and He
4ns yer WI create greater one than Brit
The -entente cordiale" is doubt,ess 70.
sponsfble for no inconsiderable portion
ofsthese laudatory outbursts They are
IN striking contrast to the lack of en-
tr WIN which the announcement
that skipling had been awarded the
Nobel prize for literature has been re-
ceived here. There is undeniabIy a gem
erai feeling in English literary circles
mat IN recent years kipling has done
fact. he has declined. One paper ex-
presses satisfaction over his denial of
the rumor that he was engaged on
DOCK about Canada. which he lately
visited. and voices the hope that period
of temporary silence will enable him to
regain his earlier form and find fresh
inspiration.
= !:
Frankfort Moore has been giving some
interesting "reminiscences of his early
literary struggles. The manner of his
first getting into print was rather
strangt. AS boy he was always fond
of studying seamy and peculiar phases
of life. which led him one day to visit
police court. He wrote a humorous
account OF one of the cases that was
tried and gave ii to a reporter. who
handed il in to his paper as part of his
own copy. 1t was the only item relating
to the police court proceedings that ap-
feared il The paper next day. 1t got
to the editors ears that young Moore
was the author of it, with the result that
he was offered the position of the re-
porter who had sent IL in as his own
work. But the future novelist had not
then acquired that self-confidence which
Is one of his most pronounced character
istics. He did not know shorthand, and
declined the job on thr ground that he
was not qualified for IL. ,fterward he
obtained a journalistic foothnld as an
editorial writer and speedily made
good"
When he was nineteen he published a
volume of poems. One may judge of
book" he states. by saying that at the
end OF six months fifty copies were sold
and. moreover. that I was personally &C
Guainted with every purchaser of the
book. I eventually, however made 1t q
financial success by whipping up other
friends. and bv dint of sheer cheek get
ting them to purchase copies be sore thes
became aware Of the fact that the price
of the volume was six shillings. so ]
lost nothing by the book--except friends
From that day until now / have pub-
lished between fifty and sixty books
and by every one of them l have man.
aged to make some money
So
Frankfort Moore's first signal success.
was achieved with Il Forbid the Banns.'
So firmly convinced was he that 1t would
make hit with the public that on tn,
day he finished II he said to friend ''
shall net be much longer in this town.
near u beair Iacking this night. becaus,
a book which have just completed will
enable me To sever my connection will
journalism" But it didn't until two year.