The Irish standard., 1903-04-18
The Dispatches Reflecting Doubt of Reform
Simply Show Lack of Infor-
nation, He Claims.
The Average English Newspaper Prov
erbially Slow in Catching Up
With the News.

In England the newspapers are pro-
verbally slow in catching up with til,
news, says Walter Wellman in the
Chicago Record-H erald. That home
rule in some form is coming to Ireland
during the next few years-that the
Balfour ministry have already de-
cided to bring forward home rule
measure after the land question shal.
have been disposed of by passage of
the bill which Irish Secretary Wynd-
ham recently introduced-the London
newspapers do not appear to be aware
of. And when they read the news
they refuse to believe 1t. Just as they
knew nothing about the new land bill
and were !incledulous concerning 1t,
months after the readers Of The Rec
Ord-Herald had been Informed rs to
the details Of the forthcoming measure,
so now they know nothing about home
rule and cannot believe 1t possible
such n thing is In the cards. Never
theless it is true that the present min
isGy intends to take up the home-rule
question after the land act has been
passed. The information comes direct
from members of the government and
is trustworthy even IL the London
newspapers have not been alert enough
to get In touch with the most import
ant news affecting their own country.
The following dispatches appeared a
few days ago in Il New York news
paper:
London, April GA telegram from
Dublin to the Times says the absurd
rumors of the governments intention
to Introduce a homc-rule measure
originated in the United States,
whittier they were carried by n num-
Der of American journalists who did"
Ireland last year and collected stories
from people who pretended to know
the secrets of the government. These
stories, enhanced by an artistic set
ting, drifted back to Ireland and sup
piled a satisfactory reason for all the
milder measures taken in Ireland
lately.
London, April 9.-Lord Londonderry,
president of the board Of education,
has written letter in which he repud-
iates any knowledge of an intention
on the part of the government to in
troluce q measure of self government
for Ireland.
No American journalist has said that
the government intended to introduce
homerule measure Mt this session Of
parliament, or at very early date.
The American correspondents who
did" Ireland last year-and learned
and printed the news of the forthcom-
ing land bill, of which London jour-
nails were in the densest ignorance
procured their information in the high
est quarters and this information was
that there were two parts to the Irish
programme Of the Balfour ministry,
namely:
1. The settlement Of the land ques-
lDn.
2. Granting Ireland some form of
home rule.
1t was the plan of the government
and still is-to take these steps one
at time. They wish to finish the first
completely before undertaking the
second. There may be several years
between the two features of the pro-
gramme, dependent upon circum-
stances.
The Balfour government is exceed
ingly anxious that the success Of the
land bill shall not be jeopardized by
any complications over home rule.
Hence the goverlment-I>Ord London
derry, Mr.. Chamberlain or any other
minister's wholly justified in deny
ing that the government contemplates
the introduction Of home rule bill
in the near future. 1t has no such in
tention, and no one-except Dublin
correspondent of London paper, who
misinterpreted some information
which he obtained by reading one Of