ANGLO-FRENCH RELATIONS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1726, 29 March 1905, Page 41 (Supplement)

ANGLO-FRENCH RELATIONS.

MR KIPLING’S PLEA ‘‘FOR THE hope op to morrow .

The Paris “Figaro” recently published a letter written Dv Mr Ruuyard Kipling to M. d’Humieres. who has translated into french . several of Mr Kipling’s ]y£. d’Humieres is the author of a book “I/lie et L’Enrpire.” which is a critical appreciation of the work done in the world by the British race. In oarticxilar. he eulogises the energy of the British character and its capacity for Imperial responsibilities. Mr Kinling rejoices in this tribute to his countrymen ; but, he says : “There exists —I am glad you have not perceived it—an England which 'js sleeping, ruined by its excess of prosperity, and because it snores loudly, imagines itself to be thinking. “In your commentaries on the Army you appear to me to have touched a vital point of our system in saying of our soldiers that ‘they understand that they must not understand.’ I think that is the secret of much of our success as well as of manv of our reverses. It is the first thing we teach our boys. “"Your studies of India have delighted me. l know little of Southern India but I wish you could have .seen something of the New India-—the land of factory and railway where the imperturbable Oriental moves among modern machinery and adores his gods in the

shadow of locomotive sheds. “1 am in hearty accord with you on the value of a good understanding between our two countries —not onlv for to-day’s needs, but for the hone of to-morrow. The two peoples seem to me to complement one another in temperament and destiny. as well as in reason and fact. Both have to do with subject races. If we quarrel who will profit by it ? Who but Mediaevalism armed with modern weapons Y Can you doubt it P “1 should like to discuss many interesting points in your oook. particularly what you observe on our natir*" ness of temperament. J v tity' is not mere cant. ju '• ■ • trative necessity imposed l. ..aj density of our population. imagine a country populated with 400 inhabitants to every square mile, all imbued with refined and aggressive sensuality! It would oe an orgie. Trade would suffer by it. Then, again, we are a meat-fed people, of whom 6,000,000 ('more than a seventh) inhabit a- town which for five months in the year only exchanges semi-darkness for profound obscurity. “We realise that this causes nervous excitement, and we take exercise in order to balance the abnormal stimulus. We understand that we must not understand. To understand everything would, doubtless, be to pardon everything: but if would also mean to commit everything. “1 have only one grievance against yon but it is serious. iou say that 1 admire Offenbach ! lam no musician, but —never Offenbach! I had rather be the ‘aggressive Imperialist’ of the legend than a lover of Offenbach.”

He (fervently): “I would go through anything for you.” She (sweetly): "Well—er—let’s begin on your bank account.”