The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-09-19
KIPLING ANGRY AT
ALL AMERICANS
Quarrel With BrOther-in-
Law SOurs Him Against
Whole Country
GEN. O'RYAN CALLS
ATTACK SENSELESS

Says Americans Should Feel No Resent
ment Towards Whole British People
Because One Old Man Shows Animos-
ity to Us-Are Our Friends.
NEW YORK, Sept. l9.-Maior' Gen.
John +. Organ. who commanded the
9th Division in the World war, gives
The World an answer to Rudyard Kip
ling's attack upon the United States.
Gen. Organ recalls Kipling's row
with an American brother-in law and
bluntly says it is senseless ''to condemn
a whole people and their war effort be-
| cause of his animosity toward one in
dividual of that people," Gen. Organs
statement in full follows:
According to an interviewer, Mr..
Rudyard hipling, the poet-author. re-
Gently made some disparaging remarks
about our effort in the World war He
now denies he made such criticisms.
The evidence, however, supports the
statements of the interviewer. Herbert
Bayard SwOpe Executive editor of The
Worldl made that clear a day or two
ago
But how are we concerned with the
personal views or animosities of
Mr. hiphngI How can the British peo-
pie be held responsible for the utter
ances of this private citizen of Great
Britain, who holds no official office?
British Appreciated Us.
Mr.. Kipling is getting old, and he
suffered the loss OF his only son in the
war. These circumstances should make
Us indulgent toward him in his apparent
bitterness Of grief.
In relation to his general dislike of
America and Americans, which we are
told characteriZes his attitude, that ap-
pears to be the outgrowth of a row he
had with his American brother-in-law.
"SenseIess, 1t Is. OF cOuse, 10 HIM to
condemn whole people and their war
effort because of his animosity toward
one individual OF that people.
But it seems to me, however, to be
no more senseless than it would be for
Us TO rail against the British people be-
cause we resent the views of one in
dividual subject, holding no official po
sition.
Il know that our war. effort was very
| highly appreciated by the officers and
men of the British army in France and
Belgium during the time when a part
of our army was serving with them. /
have reason to believe that this appre-
citation still exists.
Thinks British Our Friends.
Our people who actually fought with
the British will testify with remark
able unanlmItY concerning the frank.
simple ways. the Teselutes courage and
the general spirit of comTadeship to-
ward us Of the men of the British army.
The officers and men of that army
were a composite of the British people
| Obviously, the British people have their
! faults. as we have ours, hSlt it is their
! manly virtues, and not their faults,
| which stand out on real acquaintance
! with them and mark them as depend
| able in their friendship.
| 1t so happens that British appre-
! citation of the American effort. with
| which they were Intimately familiar.
| is a matter of record. Upon the return
| to this country of the 9th and 30th
| American DIVISIONS, when served with
! the British army. Field Marshal Sir
| Douglas Haig sent to each of the di-
! vision commanders cable messages of
appreciation.
| These messages were sent, it viii
be noted, about four months after the
armistice. at Il time when nothing but
| friendship and appreciation could have
! been the motive.
Cites Haig's Message.
The eablegram addressed to me as
| commander OF the 9th division read
as follows:
" London, March 9. 1919.
" Major Gen. ORyan, New York.
" 'OSl22 8. In the name of your
comrades in the British army. l send
YOU and all ranks of the 9th Ameri-
| can division our heartiest greetings on
| your safe return. You can tell all
| those who today welcome YOU In your
own home that countless homes in Eu-
| rope are the happier for what YOU have
done, and that the Old World viii never
| forget her debt of gratitude to Amer
lea.
" FIELD MARSHAL SIR DOUGLAS
| HAIG, France
'Where can one find a meaner crea-