The Irish standard., 1909-12-04
THE PRINCE OF WALES
IN THE PUBLIC EYE
The Time is Near When He
Will be King, and for that
Reason He Wants Mention
of His Name in the News
papers and Hires the Press
Agencies to Puff His Many
Accomplishment fora Seat
on the British Throne,

| have read lately an interesting
analysis. 1t is an analysis of GER
tain famous pill, of which box is sold
at the price, understood to be an
alarming sacrifice, of one shilling, one
penny, halfpenny (27 cents). The
analysis proved that the total cost OF
the ingredients of all the pills in the
box was less than a farthing. It fur
nothing of value, from a therapeutic
point of view, but what the veriest
tyro in medicine could prescribe,
writes Arthur Lynch, M. P, in Lo:l-
don letter to the st. Louis Republic.
This is not usual introduction to
discourse on royalty, but the appro-
priateness of it will become more and
more apparent when the subject is
closely considered. These pills have
attained worldwide renown. They
are supposed to be endowed with won-
derful virtues, they dazzle the imagi-
nation, they make fortunes, they be-
come articles of faith. And yet their
intrinsic value is almost nothing. Sim
ilarly, royalty has become the one
great superstition of modern times
though erected on basis which is
veritabiy absurd. And the means by
which it has attained tts prestige are
precisely the same as those Of the
pills. Advertisement, advertisement!
Puff, puff, puff!
Gear, Kaiser, King, Prince and
Princelet, they are all newspaper
made regulations. The late Michael
Davitt, the famous Irish tribune of the
people, once assured me that there ex-
listed definitely organized bureau Of
information, or, as we should say II It
were not for the august character If
royalty, regular up-to- date press
agency devoted to the bolstering up
of royalty. This is in part true, but
not I think quite on such definite lines
as Davitt supposed. The press agency
is really in part spontaneous
There is source, certainly, which
puts forth all manner of items calcu-
lated to place royalty in a fatterine
light and to suppress everything that
may tend to it's disadvantage. A
friend of mine who is one of the edi-
tors of an important paper told ME
the other day that his paper had re-
ceived a letter from high function
ary attached to the Prince of Wales,
which began by saying that the time
could not be very far distant when a
new reign must be looked for, and
that 1t was necessary to disabuse the
public mind Of various misapprehen-
sions which have arisen about the
Prince of Wales and to prepare the
way for the public to recognize him
as great, wise and noble Prince. This
Will undoubtedly be done in due course,
and the Prince, who is not greatly es-
teemed nowadays. will loom up on the
horizon as paragon of all the virtues
and all the talents.
Some time ago another journalist
of my acquaintance told me that
Princess Beatrice, who Is sister of
the King, was expected at country
house, to which the hostess had dis
creetly invited a few journalists, with
the idea, no doubt, of celebrating hel
own hospitality. Princess Beatrice
was indignant at the presence of tn.
journalists and demanded to know why
her hostess had "these fellows about ~
!. My friend, who has less reverence for
!, royalty than most of his compeers
said to them: IF we did not run after
these people they would soon run after
U.S." That is, Of course. the plaio
truth. Without friendly press, roy
atty, with it's intrinsic absurdity, could
not last week.
But mere press-agency work will
. not account for the adulation by which
royalty is surrounded and the syco.
, phancy Of almost every class in ths
community. The popularity Of the
King is undeniable. He is admired
by people of the most contrary char.
acter and for the most contrary rea.
} sons He is great favorite among
, sporting men, for instance, who i'm.
; pute to him all their own virtues, o,
lack of virtues. and take him as thei,