A Parody Of Kipling.

Letter to the Editor.

ON reading “The Magistrate’s ‘IF’” in your November issue, one is disposed to congratulate the author on his modesty in apologising to Rudyard Kipling for his brilliant effusion.

When one realises the colossal hard ships that are the lot of the Papuan Magistrate, as enumerated by your re tiring poet, one can feel nothing but admiration for these stout defenders of the outposts of Empire. They sit in their offices from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., daily wearing themselves out in the duty of King and Country, go out on patrol, braving the dangers of hostile cannibals with savage-looking arrows that could painfully penetrate the “gizzard”. (In delicate word, but I am sure that Kip ling would allow a little poetic license.) This they do, despite Sir Hubert Murray’s boast that one can walk from one end of Papua to the other with nothing more lethal than a walking stick.

It is also pleasing to note that these great Empire-builders are also experts

on copra and rubber production, and it must be of inestimable advantage to planters to have them on the spot to advise them in their many difficulties.

On such foundations are Empires born; and, while such men guide the destinies of a country in every branch of its activities, as your poet says they do, the British Empire is safe and Papua will become the most prosperous of the Commonwealth of Nations, and will con tinue as an example to the rest of the world. It is now apparent that one must hand most of the honour to this fine body of men.

May I, as a humble admirer of Kip ling, now transfer some of my affec tion to your unknown writer; and it is my hope that we will soon have a bigger and better recessional from his pen.

I am, etc.,

Port Moresby, 20/12/1937.

Koi Koi.