Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1919-03-15
imp ATRIAL"
What Mysterious Influences Keep
the America Press From
All Fairness?
Has Ignored Nation Wide Agitation
Now On in Ireland's
Behalf.
Papers Have Failed to Give Pre-
sentation of Catholic
Matters.
PHENOMENA NOT a NEW ONE.

During the past three months in
the chief cities of the land large
mass meetings have been held to
urge that Ireland. like the other
small nations of Europe, should en-
joy the right of settling for herself
what form of government she shall
have. These gatherings have not
been taking place in out-of-the-way
corners and in secret, but have been
held In large halls and theaters,
have been addressed by prominent
ecclesiastics and we'll known laymen.
Moreover, resolutions have been
drawn up and forwarded to Presi-
dent Wilson at the Peace Confer
ence urging him to present to the
assembled powers Ireland's claims
to self-determination. State Legis-
latures, too, like those OF Con-
necticut and Illinois, have passed
similar resolutions. Yet how many
readers of our daily papers have
learned from their favorite journal
that any such nation wide agitation
in Ireland's behalf has been going
on? Only those who have had ac-
cess to the Catholic weeklies can
have any adequate idea of how
strong and widespread is the pres
ent pro-Irish movement in this coun-
try. For the readers of our secular
press are left for the most part quite
in the dark regarding the growth
and importance of this agitation,
and where covert or open hostility
to Ireland's Just claims is not the
papers attitude. a studied silence on
the Irish question is the general
rule.
But the phenomenon is not a new
one. For it is a remarkable fact
that during the past twenty years
the attitude of the American press
toward foreign events of a certain
kind has been stIikingly similar to
that our papers now adopt regarding
Irish liberties. The Dreyfus affair,
like all questions. had of course two
sides Yet what chance had that
5 5sF'sa ss S's'sss RsEssE ssIl TS s!s
secular paper had a word to say in
favor OF the Philippine friars.
though the fact that president Taft
was able to come to an amicable
agreement with them shows that
their case was by no means indie
fensible? Scarcely anything could
be more one-sided, moreover, than
the stand taken by most American
journals on the French associations
law. 1t was an iniquitous measure,
the world knows now, that made
exiles and beggafs of half the teach
ing body and practically all the
nursing and social workers of the
country; that made scrap OF
paper" out of the concordat; that
confscated all the French priests
and Bishops residences and cruelty
robbed the clergy of their long
saved old-age pensions. Yet how
few and faint were the voices of pro
test that rose from the sanctums of
our American editors at the time.
How promptly, too. most of our
papers sprang to the defense OF
Ferrer, the Spanish /. w. W. agi-
tator. What a hero they made of
him, and what scant consideration
the just charges urged against him
by the Spanish Government received.
The counterfeit Portugal republic,
with its hideous massacres, il will
also be remembered, found a thou
sand plausible apologists in our
secular papers; the socalled Congo
atrocities" were likewise flam-
boyantly featured. though the Bel
CLANS weighty explanations secured
very little space in our press. Easier
to remember, because more recent,
is the attitude taken by our journals
toward the anti-Catholic character
Of the Mexican revolution and to-
ward the charities investigation"
in New York.
The close resemblance between
the treatment given the Irish ques-
ton just now by the secular press
and the treatment formerly shown
certain foreign events involving
Catholic interests is to say the least
very curious. When the Y. NJ. c. A..
the Red Cross or the Zionists hold
big rally, the proceedings are fully
reported as a rule by the press. But
when men gather in large numbers
to urge Ireland's claims to justice
it is worthy of note that the meet
ing receives only a meagre and
somewhat satiricai notice in most Of
our leading papers or else an ex-
pressive silence about the proceed
ings is observed. On such social
questions as the restriction Of Jap
anese immigration moreover our
journals display an interesting di-
yersity OF opinion. Only regarding
Ireland's rights and wrongs is there
practical unanimity.
So the thoughtful reader will
naturally ask himself: Are the same
mysterious influences that kept from
i the American public fair pre-
sentatlon of the Catholic side Of the
Fewer case, the Congo atrocities, "
the Mexican revolution, or the chari-
ties nvestigation. now successfully
preventing us from learning the
truth about Ireland?
The foregoing is taken from
America. and has forceful bearing
on at least two Louisville papers
Who are more British than any
printed in England.
SUPREME KNIGHT A GUEST.