New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-23
THE KIPLING IDEA
History from the Recruiting Ser
.geant's Point of View.
A HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BY c. r. l.
Fletcher and Rudyard Kipling. Pictures
by Henry Ford. Svo, PIP. sos. Double
day Page e Co.

This is tho book which has recently
set the British reviewers by the ears. II
has warmed the cookies OF the Tory
heart and 1t has set the Liberals teeth
or edge. This, as we remarked a few
weeks ago, has been inimical to any
really critical appraisal of the work, but
It is not difficult to understand how
Messrs. Fletcher and Kiplng have af-
fected their British readers. nor is 1t
difficult to sympathize with the malcon-
tents among the latter. These pages
move to beat OF drum. The verse in
them is obviously due to Mr.. Kipling,
but while It is not unnatural to attribute
the prose to his collaboration the book as
whole is imbued with the spirit OF the
Imperialistic Bard. In the last chapter
something is said about the inventive
genius Of our time, and after some Wig
ofous stanzas on 1.-THE Secret of the
Machines" the authors say: I'm the
common sense Of the word happy these
and a thousand other inventions have
no doubt made us happier than our
Observation-Disclosures were. Have they
made us better, drawer, more self-deny-
ing, more manly men and boys; more
tender, more affectionate, more home
loving women and girls? 1t Is for you
boys and girls WHO are growing up TO
resolve that you will be all these things
and to be true to your resolutions
Such solicitude for the growth Of tender
ness and self-denial is surely very
touching. But not for a moment does
It distract us from the essential tone Of
the book This is exactly illustrated In
the following adjuration: But don't
think there can be any doubt that the
only safe thing for all Of us who love
our country is 10 learn soldering at
once and to he prepared TO fight at any
moment" Mr.. Fletcher and Mr.. Kip
ling have written their History Of Eng
land" from the recruiting sergeants
point Of view.
Whenever these authors detect their
countrymen in a mood inclining toward
peace they see red" Ethelred the
Unready they find extremely vexatious.
The wise men Of unwise Ethelred
were as useless as the House Of Com
mons would be to-day If there were a
big invasion. They talked. but did moth
ing" over the wickedness of Dane
geld" Mr. Kipling bursts into bitter
song. He and Mr.. Fletcher have soft
words for Elizabeth, but 1t irks them
that she did not follow up her Spanish
victories with conquest on large scale.
PAY for a big war she would not, +"
they sadly complain, though, In big
war, swift victory was all but certain
and would have produced a lasting
peace" 1t is rather droll accident that
the next sentence should state that her
last years were very lonely stuart
times bring the same regrets. Men
hated the service and shirked IL when
they could: they talked nonsense about
England not wanting an army when
she had got such a fine navy You will
often hear the same sort Of nonsense
talked nowadays; don't believe IT." When
Charles II comes riding into London to
sit upon his throne he Goes so, the au-
thors admit, amid the tears and shouts
Of the people gone mad with joy" but
even at this blissful moment Messrs.
Fletcher and Kipling give their dour
roll upon the drum:
The reign Of the Sword was over, the
reign of the Law had begun. Unfortu-
lnately, this reign OF the Sword left on
mems minds an unreasonable hatred and
fear not only Of this Puritan army, but or
all armies, and that hatred ana lear nave
too often paralyzed the arm OF England,
and IS not wholly dead to-day. II has pre-
vented men from seeing that TO serve King
and country In the army is the second
best profession for Englishmen OF all
classes: TO serve IN the navy, suppose all
admit, is the best.
The book. in short, is an imperialst
broadside, and this fact is driven home
and riveted, as 1t were, by beautiful
complacency Everything is for the best
in the best of all possible worlds, namely,
British world. No English school child
who follows Messrs. Fletcher and Kip
ling is in danger Of regarding any per-
sonage or event In British history, past
or present, with the smallest disrespect.
The character" studies OF rulers like
Henry VIII and Charles II are little
masterpieces of tact. The allusion TO
the Boer war is perfect. "One by one,
in the reign Of Victoria, each Of these
coloniesl was annexed by Great Brit
Queen were made sorrowful by the war
which we had to fight against these
brave, logged and cunning Dutch farm
ers of the Transvaal." On the subject Of
the war with America both authors are
sublime. First, in rhyme. Mr.. Kipling
explains that we were not bold for free
dom until England had got France and
Spain out Of the way, and then the prose
narrative is thus taken up:
Soon after the peace of 1863 we began to
perceive one result Of the conquest Of
Canada which few people had expected
our American colonies, having no French
to fear any longer, wanted 10 be free from
our control altogether They utterly re-
fused to pay a penny Of the two hundred
million hounds that the war had cost MS :
and they equally refused to maintain gar
rison Of British soldiers. They intended
to shake off all our restrictions on their
trade and TO buy and sell I'm whatever mar
kot they could find. When our Parliament
proposed In 1854 TO make them pay a small
fraction Of the cost Of the late war they
called II Oppression" and prepared to
rebel we are Wings" they said: "Vrhgs
always resist oppression You English
Wings did so I'm 1858
One reads this not with resentment,
bu with a chuckle, as when one reads
this naive dellverance: 80, when Lord
CORVALLIS, with seven thousand men,
was obliged TO surrender to a French
and American force at Yorktown I'm 1871
we determined 10 withdraw from Amer
lea" "Determined' Is delightful
word Rut LET us have done with the