The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-04-05

what mysterious influences Kept the
American Press from All Fairness,
Asks "America." Has Ignored Ma.
tion-Wide Agitation Now on in Ire.
lands eehalf-Papers Have Failed
to Give Presentation 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 enjoy the right of
settling for herself what form of gov.
eminent she shall have. These gath
erings 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
President Wilson at the Peace Con-
ference urging him to present to the
assembled powers Ireland's claims to
self-determination. State Legislatures,
too, like those of Connecticut and ILL.,
nois, have passed similar resolutions.
Yet how many readers of our daily
papers have learned from their favor
tie journal that any such nationwide
agitation in Ireland's behalf has been
going on? Only those who have had
access to the Catholic weeklies can
have any adequate idea of how strong
and widespread is the present pro-
Irish movement in this country. 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 remarkable fact that
during the past twenty years the attl
tude of the American press toward
foreign events of certain kind has
been strikingly similar to that our pa
pers now adopt regarding Irish liber-
ties. The Dreyfus affair, like all ques-
tions, had of course two sides. Yet
what chance had that Jewish officers
prosecutors" with our reading pub
lie? Again, what 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 indefensible?
Scarcely anything could be more one.
sided, moreover, than the stand taken
by most American journals on the
French associations law. It was an
ubiquitous measure, the world knows
now, that made exiles and beggars Of
half the teaching body and practically
the country; that. made a "scrap of
paper" out of the concordat; that con-
fiscated 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 protest 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 l. W. w. agita-
tor. What 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, it will also be
remembered, found thousand plausi-
BILE apologists in our secular papers;
the so called Congo atrocities" were
likewise famboyantly featured, though
the Belgians' weighty explanations Sc.
cured very little space in our press.
Easier to remember, because more re-
cent, is the attitude taken by our jour-
mails toward the anti-Catholic charac-
ter Of the Mexican revolution and to-
ward the charities Investigation in
New York.
The close resemblance between the
treatment given tho Irish question
Just now by the secular press and the
treatment formerly shown certain for
eign events involving Catholic inter
ests IL to say the least very curious.
When the 7. n. c. A., the Red Cross
or the Zionists hold . big rally, the
proceedings are fully reported a. .
rule by the press. But when men
gather in large numbers to urge Ire
lands claims to Justice It II worthy
o. 80 VI