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MYSTERY DRAMA
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The DONOVAN
with
AFFAIR
JACK HOLT
DOROTHY REVIER
WILLIAM COLLIERS
FRANK K. CAPRA Oralitions
It will lift you out of your seat and send the chills down your spine!
WHO KILLED JACK DONOVAN:
A glittering dinner party gaily, laughing, guests. Sud...”, deoly--darkness and the thud of a falling body! Donovan
W38 murdered}
COMMENCING FRIDAY, SEPT. 11th.
First Time Shown. In This Colony
An All-Talking, Singing
1931 Universal Super-Production With Four Big Song Hita.
The Glory of Human Love!
The Damnation of Flaming Passion!
A Man's Story-A Wom. An's Story With a Note of Human Pity to Wong the Hardest Picarts !
RESURRECTION
John BOLES
Presented ther
Card Locatio
Lupe VELEZ
EDWIN CAREWE'S S. sational Production of Coun Leo Toltoys Immortal Story
By All Odds the Outstanding Dim S
Smash of the Source).
ESTABLISHED 1845.
HONG KONG, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1931.
NEWSPAPER & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
(Continued from Page 1.)
FACES
THE MUSIC.
antional as occurs. The mergers in MACDONALD the loop represented, as every well. informed citizen know, the practi- eal wiping out of one of the city'a foldest and supposedly strongest | banks, and the combination of two others to secure needed resources
(Continued from Page 1)
secure credits necessary to give us to restore waning confidence and
an opportunity for the rebuilding of defences.
No direct answer was given to for a period of peril. Under ordin-specific and only problem now was mands made upon itself. The this open letter. Such newspaper ary circumstances, the failure of a makers as discussed it in any form single bank will be given large tended, with few exceptions, to jus- newspaper headlines; here were tify newspaper practice on
two twenty-six bank fallures within grounds. They contended, in the four days! The city was filled with first place, that crime and sex con- wild rumours; a recital of the ac
"Bankers' Ramp." stitute sensational news; that sen- tual facts in the order of
Referring to the talk of a sational news is the thing that the sensational (and panic-creating) said that bankers and financiers,. their "Bankers Ramp," Mr. MacDonald public wants; that the newspaper value might easily have precipi- however selfish, would not devise. must supply what the public wants, tated a social catastrophe of the for political purposes, methods to or go out of business. Or if they first order. What happened? The bring themselves to bankruptcy. were not ready to defend their newspapers unanimously treated wish to say specifically and em- course on quite such a crassly the matter in such a way as to mini-phatically that never in the whole materialistic basis
As that, the newspaper makers declared that the printing of such news revolting as it might appear, really performed & therapeutic function in the body politic. Unless the dreadful facts were fully known, how could the community understand the enor mity of the conditions with which it must deal? Scandal mongering and crime reporting were in this fashion elevated to the distinction of important social services.
mize the facts of the financial crisis and to magnify such elements of stability and order as the situation contained!
Now, these examples of news paper practice are not detailed in order to take exception to them. It is possible to argue that, in view of the general public knowledge of the seriousness of the situation, this obvious "playing down" of
course of the negotiations carried on by the Chancellor of the Ex-. chequer and myself with the ap proval of the Government did the banks interfere with our political proposals. They confined them- selves to giving us expert advice as to the effects of the proposals on the possible yield of a loan."
If the country was to get a loan, it had to balance its Budget and put its sensational elements might its unemployment finance on produce the very opposite of the sound basia.
J
✡
Consequences Awful to Contemplate. The Prime Minister paid warm tribute to the helpfulness and goodwill shown by French and American bankers. He said the: cuts which Government would pro- pone might be serious but they would know what they were. the pound had been allowed to tum- ble off gold, if there had been a
It is probable that few thought effect sought. But, all. things con- ful citizens were taken in by suchsidered, the newspapers were pro- casuistry. But these defences of bably justified and wise in purau- newspaper practice in respect to a ing the course which they did. wide range of news have become This course, however, stands in almost standard in the journalistle glaring contrast with the course profession itself, and have been ac which they have pursued. when cepted as conclusive by far too dealing with, let us say, the ac- many journalists. It has been the tivities of Mr. Alphonse Capone, or easier for these journalists-to with the tragic outcome of a high salve the disturbed consciences by school drinking party. falling back on this fallacious Why this difference of journalis-real panic the value of money reasoning because there never hastic practice? The answer is plain. might not merely have sunk slowly, been, up to the present, an objec. During the critical events of last it might have withered to nothing, tive standard of newspaper prac-week, the newspapers of Chicago and war and old age pensions and tice in another held by which to folt a genuine responsibility to the health and insurance benefit become make comparisons. Such a ston-welfare of the city's financial com- nearly worthless. It was too awful dard has now, however, been given. munity. More than that, they felt to contemplate the consequences for By the test which it supplies, the themselves a part of that .com- the British people, if the compli practice of the Press in sensation-munity; their fate tied up with its cated system of credit and ex- alizing its reports of crime and sex fate. If it crashed, they crashed. change, on which they depended as la proved to be totally without the
an Importing country, were thrown zocial justification which has been
into confusion. claimed for it.
Perhaps, it should be said that in writing these words, the Chris-
Appeal to All Classes
Fittingly enough, it has been the tian Century has no intention of · After Insisting that the problem eity of Chicago which has thus singling the Chicago newspapers was not at all one due to lack of tested the pretensions of the now out for ospecial reprobation. The potential national resources, but paper. On Saturday, June newspapers in other cities would one due to lack of immediate confid- serious financial trouble developed have done what the Chicago papers ence, the Prime Minister, appealed in at least one, and perhaps more
did during the financial crisis, just to all classes to go cheerfully with than one, of the city's largest as most of them have done the the Government over the hard and banka. Hundreds of the city's same things about crime and ex. broken road, along which national bankers were in feverish confer It only happens that this demon- security, honour and well-belag ence all that night; all day Sun-stration has taken place in Chi- were to be found.
day, and early on Monday morning cago; its revelations apply to every "The Widow Has Offered
Her Mite."
It was announced that four of the big city newspaper that is still city's largest banks had been "playing up" sensational news on "The burden that we shall aski merged into two, The terms an- the ground that it is what the each individual to bear, in relation nounced made it clear that one of public wants and ts for the ultimate to national sacrifice, will not be an these mergers had been simply the
Inequitable one. Already, His Ma- taking over of the deposits of one good of the public.
The old plea can stand no longer. jesty has led his people by bank by another, and that not even it has been swept eat of court by his Royal example, announc- this measure of "rescna" would
The widow ed this morning: the newspapers themselves; swept have been achieved had not`a separate guarantee fund of more out of court in this Chicago ex- has offered her mite.
perience, than $12,000,000 been raised to pro- themselves, by the course they have claiming the privilege of sharing For the newspapera ployed, themselves, have written test the bank accepting the trans-
are go- ferred deposits.
pursued when financial ruin stalk- the burdens which
the fin In the train of this upheaval ined the streets of their city, have Ing to contribute to banking circles in the city's loop!
admitted that an event may be ancial stability of the Nation. Our people will ba proud district, disaster fell upon smaller news, but that it may not be for
to help and will be jealous the public good to have it sensa-
The unem-
banks in residential sections..ntionalized. On the basis of that to see the fruit of their surrenders] went into effect, six outlying banks as a right to demand of the en- Monday, when the loop mergers admission, now made, the public in restored national credit, closed their doors. On Tuesday tire newspaper profession a raising. twelve more failed to open. On
of the average standards of social Wednesday six more collapsed. On Thursday, two more
went to the responsibility. Christian Century.
wall Confidence in the financial structure of the city was; natural- ly, badly shaken; in the south and west side residential districts some- thing closely approximating a panic spread:
Here was news, and about as sen
PILLS
MEXICO AND LEAGUE OF
NATIONS.
I
I ask the House of Com- mons to uphold Government's handa In its work. Will
It
be long? Will it be short?
know not. One definite thing I
can say is our duty is to remain here and it Is God's (your) duty
to keep us until the crisis is past, Mexico City, Yesterday.. until the world is convinced, once The Foreign Minister announces again, that British sterling is un- that Mexico is joining the League assailable."British Wireless Ser- of Nations-Reuter,
vice.
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