THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBE 28, 1936.
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WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28, 1936.
BROADCASTING AND PEACE Whilst the spread of radio communication has been a big of factor in the dissemination nows to the far corners of the earth, side by side with its de velopment in this respect there has sprung into being an almost universal series of wireless sta- tions devoted for the most part to nothing else but propaganda, As a consequence, not only is it Increasingly difficult to sift. faet" from fiction, but much of propaganda matter sent out by certain countries is definitely in- flammatory in character, often resulting in straining the rela- tions between the nations concerned. This danger is fully appreciated by the League of Nations, which has just been considering a draft Convention on the subject of international broadcasting. This WES pre- pared for it originally in 1933 by The International Institute
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since undergone considerable criticism at the hands of States members of the Langue of Na- tions and non-member States as well. It was placed in a finally revised form before the League's Assembly at its 1935 Session and referred by it for examination to the ad hoc conference mentioned above. The Convention provides · that signatory Governments shall, on the negative side prohi-' | bit their broadcasting stations from transmissions (a) that might incite the population of another signatory's territory to acts incompatible with that ter ritory's security, (b) that might incite to war, (c) that might prejudice good international understanding (eg. by wilfully incorrect statements, etc.) and,
In Greece, to-day; a man who, a year ago, was an exile from his country is king, with those picturesque- ly clad soldiers as his own. Royal Guard. Government is by dictatorship. Athons is a City of Whispers. But...
ATHENS,
ENERAL METAXAS
Greek Dictatorship,
only seven weeks old, already looks as if it were going to be the shortest- lived of all Europe's Fascist regimes.
And when It falls, King George, less than a year restored to his throne, is likely to fall with it.
This is my conclusion after a visit here, in the course of which I have talked to political figures of every cast of opinion.
A few months, at the outside. Is the longest life I can give the dictatorship. 1 Jugh ofcial of the Greek Labour Party, and founder of the Republic which died last autumn, told me, in an exclusive interview which ho risked arrest by giving.
He was the first Greek Opposition leader who had dared to break silence since the setting up of the authorl- tarian Government,
פו
O
"The Metaxas Government has no support among the people; little even in the army," he said. "It has against it all the Greek tradition of free speech and dis- cussion.
"King George, who promised, on his return, to observe the rules of constitutional monarchy, has broken his word in permitting it to be installed: Be may find that big breach of faith will cost him dear."
Most disturbing aspect of tho dictatorship la General Metaxas' undoubted desire to break with the Balkan Entente-Oreeco. Jugoslavia, Turkey and Rumania -and link up as an ally with Italy. There are, to say the least, indi- callons that Mussolini was behind the coup d'état by which the General celzed unchecked power.
Bat were it not for the veil of
CENERAL METAXAS Premier-Diclator for Soven Waoks
The Greeks Have Two Words For It
HOW LONG?
censorship that has fallen over the whole Greek Press, the reign of terror that has turned Athens Into a city of whispers and side. long glances, 16 18 doubtful whether Metaxas could last more than a few hours.
of
Estimates of the number people arrested and deported to of coup the islands since his August 4 vary from 600 to 4,000. And in addition to these actually imprisoned. scores of othera against whom nothing could be proved have been taken to the police stations and man-handled or dosed with castor oil.
On such a mere suspicion, the cultor of one of the most distin- guished Athens newspapers was taken from his home, cruelly beaten by the police, and only set free because, after turning his house upside down, they could find nothing against him.
And arrests can be made and houses broken into at any hour of the day or night with no need for a warrant.
Telegrams abroad are censored, naturally, but not only telegrams. Seventy per cent. of letters sont abroad, I am credibly informed, are now being opened.
A new decree, issued a few days ago, compels the sender of a lettor to a foreign country to write his name and address on the back flap of the envelope. The idea is to help the censors in their work-and if this rule is not obeyed, the lettera aro-detained_at_the_dead-Jetter
offacc.
This message could never have been sent from Greece. I had to travel to Albania to dispatch it.
Telephone calls to countries out- side Greece are, of course, inter- But so are rupted and overbeard. calis even within the country.
The Athens correspondent of
says
Ronald Matthews
Hava, the French newsagency. . was telephoning come days ago to the French Legation to give them the day's news when his line was. eut of. It was not till a diplomatic protest had been made that he was restored to the telephone.
Proofs of every story that appears in the newspapers have first to be submitted to the censorship, and the Government also issues in- structions to editors on the sub- jects on which they must and must not comment.
O
What is disquieting is that the nature of these instructions points plainly to a destre to suppress all news that might redound to the credit of Greece's Balkan Allies. Thus, the Press was told to say nothing of King Edward's visit to Istanbul, and nothing of a report that Premier Blum, of France, was niso going there.
A few days before he took power, General Metaxas declared: "I re-
fuse to be a party to any alliance that is going to come under the influence of Russia "-a clear hit at the Balkan Entente.
The day after the coup d'état, Athens Mussolini's Minister in officially Instructed the Athens of Stefani. the representative Italian news agency, that the new Greek regime was consistently to
Anonymous Letter Writers
Durnig the hearing of a case on the positive side, shall ensure THE other day I met the widow of especially in times of crisis, the a man hanged for murder. Years accuracy of the information con-
have elapsed since the husband ex- at the Supreme Court this week, cerning
piated his crime upon the scaffold the Chief Justice made reference international relations but the wife's life to-day is being. broadcast within their territories, made a veritable hell by the ma-
The Ex-Convict's Past
and shall help each other by chinations of an anonymous letter. /to a threatening letter received Job in the belief that no one from the
placing at the disposal of other writer.
those She is living miles from signatory Governments informa-
teenes which can only have the most tion for broadcasting calculated dreadful memories for her. She has
by one of the witnesses.
Ministers and welfare workers nil to promote, better knowledge of changed her name. Bravely, she has have stories to relate of the tragedy the civilisations and conditions of brought up her child in ignorance of which can be wrought in family life the father's fate. And now, out of
An ex-convict, determined to go straight, was holding down a good past was likely to disturb him. One day he opened a letter which told him only 100 bluntly that someone knew just who he had been. "Does your boss know?" asked the writer.
To his credit, the man did not hest- tate. He went at once to his employ- er und told him, the truth. The em not to worry but to carry on with his work.
life of their respective countries. I blue, have come letters to taunt by the sudden opening of a letter ployer wan sympathelle and told him)
It is recognised that it is the spirit rather than the letter
the
dress.
name and ad- her with the fact that she was the bearing no sender's of wife of a callous murderer. On my
An inquest was held recently on a this Convention that will give advice, she has gone to the police, healthy life to broadcasts in- but they seem powerless to trace the young wife who had thrown herself In the river rather than face the fu- source of these dastardly communica- tended for foreign countries or.
ture with the whole secret of her flons. for the explanation to fellow
The writer is showing deliberate past exposed. It was not so very country-men of
conditions cunning through his methods in post-bad, and perhaps she was silly not to ould place. In all probability abroad. It is hoped that the ing his epistles. The post-mark is have told her husband in the first to their Convention will be signed by a never. the same. Fortunately they
have made no difference have so for always been letters, but imate nappiness, but she was fear- large number of countries, 24 the wretched woman is living in on that will give the maximum bene-gony of suspense. She is terrified ful that it would. ficial result, but it is pointed out lest the writer shall pen his foul mes- that, even if only a few adopt sages on open post cards for all the and apply it, its results will be world to read, and through which the child may learn the terrible truth profitable for thent Disputes about the man she still calls "daddy." are certain to occur fa the Inbeg pretation of a Convention tha: Rarely Discovered from the very nature of the sub-
anonymous Never have ject must be somewhat
vague, writers been so rampant as they are |and provisions are therefore made
to-day. Hardly a week passes with for reference of such disputes as out the police being called upon to cannot be decided between the investigate the source of scurrilous Governments themselves to the and unsigned letters. Low as
blackmailer may be, there does come a time when he gives the authoritier Intellectual Co-operation or even
some lead by which they can trap in the last resort to the Per-him... But the anonymous letter manent Court of International writer remains hidden in the back-past-it their secret in Justice.
ground, and it is rarely that he is un- masked.
letter-
111
Then, the anonymous writer, with diabolicnt cunning, began sending communications to all his work- mates, asking them how they liked shoulders with a man from rubbing Dartmoor. He had to give up his The unknown. figure who brought job, and he is back in prison to-day. that about is tree. Perhaps, some body else's life is being ruined by the
some pen.
For years a young man had striven Before her marriage she had borne to perfect a patent. At last with an lilegitimate child. Without think justifiable pride he took it to the chairman of a large company. The
the inven in ing of the consequences, she had toid her husband that she had been mor- firm became interested rled previously. She described her- on, but just as they were about to self as a widow on the marriage make an offer the chairman received certificate. After only a few months an anonymous note. It warned the of joy on anonymous letter shattered firm about dealing with the young her whole sense of security. The man. It insinuated that he had stolen
Idea. The youth first letter was followed by others the whole until, almost driven out of her mind shown the letter and he swore that by fear, she threw herself upon the there was no truth in the suggestion. But the seed of doubt had been sown. Rather than have any diff- culty, the firm dropped the matter.
waters of the river rather than upon the love and sympathy of the man she had married,
Woe betide those who have com- No One Safe mitted some wrong, never mind how much they may have redeemed the known to someone who loves to indulge his they queer taste by writing anonymously.
was
What specimens of humanity.are
who write these domning un-
(Continued on Page 4)
be
presented under the most favourable light.
It comes as a shock to an Englishman, however, to discover that General Metaxas might never have carried out his coup if he had not been convinced that in any future line-up of the European Powers Britain would be on the side of Germany and Italy,
D
Many Athens Socialists Dolleve; too, that the Foreign Office regards the new regime with benevolent tolerance, to say the least, &
What, besides the influence of Italy and Germany-for General Metaxan is surrounded by violent pro-Germans llcs behind his action of August 4, when ho dis- proclaimed solved Parliament, martial
banned inw.
political parties and abolished freedom of speech?
mne.
"Almost nothing but personal told ambition," my informant
"The General claimed that Com- he had to act to avert munist revolt. But at the last elections, less than a year ago, the Communista gained only 70,000 votes out of a total of more than 1,200,000.
What in fact had frightened him was that the Venizelist and Tsardarist Parties, who had been at loggerheads since her King re- turned, had come to an agreement two days before he carried out his coup.
"This agreement would havo re- sulted-in-the-formation of a coal- tion Government and the hurling of the General from the Premier- ship.
"Ho therefore got hold of King George and persuaded him that the safety of his throne. depended on the continuance of a Metaxas Government
"But when I and other political leaders saw the King after the coup and pointed out how ridiculous was the supposed Communist danger, 1 have never seen a man so embar- rassed in my life."
General Metaxas has admitted that he plans to set up "corporative State" on the German and Italian model. But, my informant pointed aut, there is one big differ- ence between him and Hitler or Mussolini.
"The German and Italian dicta- tors," he said," came to power with the mass support of a big Party. In the Parliament which he dissolved General Metaxas had just five, sup- porters."
And even those five supporters, as another sourco told me, have now abandoned him. "The coup only succeeded," the Labour Jeader went on, because it took. the Greek people by surprise. And. resistance to it is delayed simply because, on account of the censor
no one knows what is going ship,
on.
But already there are signs that. popular patience is becoming ex- hausted by the dullness of the emasculated Press and the se- quence of arbitrary arrests.
General Metaxas received his military education in Germany. He Was Greck Chlef of Staff In 1014.. and helped to sway King Constan- tine against the Aliles.
"The General cost Constantino. his place," a man in the street summed it up to me. "Pretty soon ha's going to cost this man his. 100."
Wags' Corner
TWO goalkeepers were arguing about. the hard sbots they had stopped. "Woll," said one, I remember when Buster of the Rangers shot from 6. penalty, and the ball hit me, and
"And knocked you through the net.. . I supposet"
"Not only that! I had to pay a bobi to get back into the ground. ***
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