The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-05-08
By RUDYARD KLPLLNG.
lin a Speech at Folkstone.)

lay GOWN Wnat tne War2lmb OF tu6 Al
lies are. From time to time our
statesmen repeat them. They all
agree We are fighting for freedom and
liberty. for the right Of small States
to exist. and for nations Ia decide for
themselves how they. are 70 be GOV.
erned. All this we understand and
perfectly believe. That Is the large
view Of the situation. What Is the
personal aspect Of the case for you
and me!
We are fighting for our lives, the
lives Of every man. woman, and child
here and everywhere else. We are
fighting that we may not be herded
INTO actual slavery such as the Ger
mans have established by force Of
their arms in large parts Of Europe.
We are fighting against eighteen
hours a day forced labor under the
lash or at the point Of the bayonet,
with dogs death and q dogs burial
ct the end Of It. We are fighting that
men. women, and children may not be
tortured, burned. and mutilated IA the
public streets, as has happened "a this
town and in hundreds Of others. And
we will 90 on fighting till the race
who have done these things are ID no
position. to continue or repeat theii
offense.
No Halfway House Tween
Victory and Defeat.
II for any reason whatever We fall
short of victory-and there is no half
way house between victory and de-
feat-what happens to us7 This:
Every relation. every understanding
every decency upon which civilization
has been so anxiously built up will
go-will be washed out, because II
will have been proved unable to en-
dure.
Tho whole Idea Of democracy
which at bottom 10 what the Hun
fights agaInst-wIll DO dlsmlssed
from mems mInds, because II Will
have been shown Incapable Of
maintaining Itself aoalnst tho
Hun. II will dlsj and II will do
dIseredlted, together with every
belief and practice that 10 based
on Il.
The Hun ideal, the Huns rootno
tions Of life, will take Its plac'
throughout the world. Under that dis
pensation man will become once NOR,
the natural prey, body and goods, o
his better.armed neighbor. Womel
will be the mere instrument for cor
tlnuing the breed. the vessel Of man
lust and mans cruelty; and labor MI
become a thing to be knocked On h
head II It dares to give trouble. an
worked to death II 1t does not.
And from this order Of life
there will DO no appeal, no possl.
bIllty Of any escape. This 10 what
tho Hun means when he says he
Intends to impose German
KULTUR-whIoh 10 the German
reiloIon-upon tho world. This 10
precisely what tho world has
banded Itself together to resist
II will take every ounce In 10; L
will try 10 out to til naked soul.
Our trial will not BE- made less b
the earnest advice and suggestion
that we should accept sofas sort .
compromise. which means defeat, p1
forward by Hun agents and coAfe{
crates among US. They are busy 4
that direction already.
- Or Earth Becomes
A He'll Without Hops.
ppt be sure Of this: Nothing
nothing we may have to endure n6j
will weigh one feathefTelkht GU
pared with what w MRn Mtst ~
tainly have to sufef II fof any cahs
we fail Of victory.
The war must 60 on. The NOR
we have suffered in this war, u
more clearly do We see this neeessit,
Our hearts, our reason, every instint
in us that Lifts u above the nsr
brute. show US that the vat must 6
Cd. Otherwise earth becomes d be
without hope. The men. dc up
the munitions must 90 forward 6H
war, and behind them must Come u
money, without which nothing ca
move. Where our hearts are Tier
must our treasure be Nso, There he
bSSa . great dsAl d muasy gtsnE !
England lately. tstytN }hiiiiohS q u
for the last twelve hundred dayI
That means that many people hay
had the chance q earning moi
money than Try GSbld have sains
in peace times. >
Our security for our loan 10 not
emily the whole Of tie HrItlsh En-
plrS, But ALEC the whole Of eIylIlxa.
tIen, which has pooled 70 ~
sources In mon, money, apd mate
rial 10 carry on MIt W.T. u No
tory. Nothing sIss Under Haven
matters today except that the War
shall 90 on 70 that shd.