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I received the following query today from Mr Anthony O'Brien regarding the origin of the 'Power without responsibility' phrase. Since Mr O'Brien's source pre-dates the best reference that I can find, perhaps one/some of you can suggest something more conclusive than my reply (also appended). From: [log in to unmask] Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2002 00:50:31 EST Subject: Power without Responsibility To: [log in to unmask] Dear Sir, I see from the internet that, according to the "Kipling Journal" (Vol. 38, No. 180, December 1971, p.6?), the phrase, famously used by Stanley Baldwin of Lords Beaverbrook and Rothermere (17th or 18th March, 1931), "What the proprietorship of these papers is aiming at is power, and power without responsibility - the prerogative of the harlot through [or "throughout"?] the ages," was borrowed, with permission, by Baldwin from his cousin. However, I would be very curious to know when Kipling first gave utterance to this sentiment. "Power without responsibility" was very much the key phrase used by Sir Hugh Clifford, Governor of Ceylon (1925-1927), a keen admirer of Kipling and an author in his own right, during the constitutional crisis in Ceylon in early to mid 1927. Yours Faithfully, Anthony O'Brien. ------------------------------------ Dear Mr O'Brien Thank you very much for your query on this phrase. I have checked several sources and can report as follows: There is still no firm information on whether or when Kipling used the whole phrase. Neither of the two most recent Kipling biographers, Andrew Lycett "Rudyard Kipling" p.758-9 and David Gilmour "The Long Recessional" p. 298, have been able to obtain definite confirmation of the source, but do refer to a letter written by Kipling to his Aunt Edith Macdonald on 9th July 1930 (Kipling Papers at the University of Sussex). 'If I'd been Stan I should have felt inclined to resign and gracefully push my job over to Lord Rothermere. Power without responsibility isn't a nice thing to watch.' This of course post-dates your reference to 1927, and so I propose to forward your letter and my reply to other members of the Kipling Society to see if they have any further ideas. Yours sincerely David Page Editor, Kipling Journal __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my.yahoo.com