On October 4, 1890, the British magazine Punch published a poem about a train out of control due to the driver falling asleep.

It impressed a young Winston Churchill.

Later in life he recited the last four lines during times of tension.

HERE ARE THE SOME LINES:

Who is in charge of the clattering train?
The axles creak, and the couplings strain...
For the pace is hot, and the points are near,
And Sleep hath deadened the driver’s ear;
And signals flash through the night in vain.
Death is in charge of the clattering train!

The poem is about a train (or you may think "country" if you think in symbolic terms) that smashed to bits due to a sleeping engineer (or think "leader of the country").

The poem seemed symbolic of a nation that was not prepared for coming danger due to a negligent head of state--someone with his head in the sand, unable to face reality.

That seemed relevant during the 1930s when many English politicians failed to perceive the real threat posed by Hitler.

Instead, politicians in power embraced the principle of appeasement--give Hitler much of what he wants, and he'll be satisfied--thus, peace is maintained (so the thinking went).




"For the pace is hot, and the points are near..." Winston Churchill recited lines about train wreck

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