The War They Never Fought, by Harry Kemp (1913)
From ‘The Masses’, September 1913, NYC
The Millionaire went forth to fight
in The War They Never Fought,
The Broker and the Banker,
each a place in the vanguard sought,
The Preacher left the church behind
to march, and shoulder a gun,
The Senator tied on his sword,
the Magnate sent his son,
Then, finding war so fine a thing,
he put by all his pelf,
And took a rifle in his hand,
and went to war himself;
The King served on the battleship,
he fought as gunner there,
The Emperor went forth on foot
the lot of war to share,
And none of them on horses rode,
but side by side they went,
And carried knapsacks, slept in rain,
and ate hard fare, content . . .
The Poor, the Poor, they stayed at home
while all these bore the brunt,
Charging, and breasting cannon balls,
and starving, at the front:
Yes, all the Workers stayed at home
and knew a happy lot—
The Ruling Classes were so brave
in The War They Never Fought!
HARRY KEMP.