The Washington herald., 1914-10-04
KREBs VS.. K1pI1Hd.
German svnba4Ai.er aad Eae1isA
Poet Have . FIlt over We.


Poet Have q TIIf over Was.
Franz Hugo Krebs. OF cambridss.
Mass. who tTisd to sc. Rndyard kip
ling's goat BY inviting him to tifs eoun-
try to read two Of his famous poems. has
had some further Correspondence with
the Engiish author. Mr.. Krebs sent the
following eablegram 70 KIpling:
September Il 1914
Rudyard Kipllng. London, England:
You are reported in American papers as
going on platform to ask your fellow
countymen to volunteer 70 risk their lives
In order TO support Russia IN attempting
TO crush Germany. / hereby offer you
1900 and your expenses for round trip
to come to New York and read (on any
night you may select in October, 1910
poems written by you-"rhe Truce OF the
Bear" better known as "Adam-zad.'' and
The Grave OF the Hundred Head" I
further agree that all moneys received In
excess Of amount paid you shall be paid
to the Red Cross for use In England. Ger
many, France and Austria (aIso In Russia
should you personally so requesO. Fur
ther, / am willing to place Red Cross
81 ciety in complete charge Of box ONCE
receipts. People here anxious to hear
you. and, with your legion OF admirers in
this country, can guarantee you as cor
dial welcome as Charles Dickens or any
other English author ever received
Kindly send reasonably prompt reply.
FRANZ HUGO KREBS
Mr.. KlplIng replied by letter as follows:
September u, 1874
Dear Sir: have your wire of the
18th instant with your proposal that
visit America to recite verses am
unable to accept this ofner, as am at
present engaged on somewhat, urgent
work in connection with the late city Of
Louvain, Belgium, and in doing what I
can to assist my countrymen to prevent
similar fate overtaking our university
RUDYARD KIPLINe.
Mr.. Krebs responded in similar vein a.
follows:
Rudyard KiplinE. Esq.
Dear Sir: Allow me to thank you for
your registered letter Of the 18th instant,
which was forwarded to me.
1 am sorry that you are unable to ac-
cept my offer. In this country your
anxiety as to the likelihood Of your "uni-
verSity towns being overtaken by "a
similar fate" to that Of Louvain will be
regarded as more or less due to excessive
timidity. As we are advised. the pre-
ponderance Of the English navy over the
for the loss OF the three English cruisers
destroyed by the Germans since your
letter TO me was written) that your coun-
try IL in no danger Of invasion. Should
conditions change in the future SO that
the invasion Of England became a possi-
billty, Americans have every confidence
that your countrymen would not be
guilty Of the abominable cruelties Infict-
ed on the German wounded by the Bel
gians.
The citizens Of the United States know
the humane nature Of the English and
few here would believe for one minute
that English women or girls would Eouge
out the eyes Of wounded German soldiers.
So! In any event your university towns
are safe The sympathy OF scores Of
thousands Of your American admirers
is yours at this time. when you, of all
men, are forced to use your immense in
fuence to try TO crush the Teuton with
the Cossack We can easily understand
that many historical precedents. notably
the opium war. by which England forced
China to continue to allow the drug that
was running its people to be imported.
would impel English merchants and
manufacturers TO rally with enthusiasm
around any standard the success Of
which would blot out from the markets
of the world those balefuI words Made
in Germany" but thousands Of AAmeri-
cans regret most deeply the inconsistent
and illogical position that you. one of
the great leaders in the English world
Of letters, have been obliged to take.
FRANZ HUGO RREBS.
p s. have Just finished re-readinE
your stirring tale, The Man Who Was"