KOWLOON
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES By Cable
Sir,-In your leading article of January 20 discussing the Kowloon situation, you attri- bute the regrettable events in Canton to "freedom given by the Chinese censorship to a Press campaign against the British in Hong- kong." Evidently you are under a misconcep- tion in regard to China. I would point out to you that there is no "Chinese censorship." War-time censorship in China was abolished by order of the President on September 1, 1945. Since that date the Press of China has been completely free of control and direction by the National Government or by any of its officials. Chinese newspaper editors, like those of the western democratic nations, follow their own judgments and evaluations in their selec- tion and interpretation of news.
One would assume from your comments that there is an authority in the Chinese Government which can turn Chinese news- paper attitudes on and off like a tap in response to changing Government policy. Such a picture of the Chinese Press is fantastic, to say the least. There is no such authority in the Government. Chinese newspaper editors with a strong sense of democratic values would be the first to repudiate such Government | invasion of their prerogatives, if attempted. This is not to say that responsible Government officials, within the limits of the freedom of the Press, do not discuss news with publishers and editors whenever in their opinion over- emphasis of controversial incidents may be hurtful to China's relations with other nations. This is always done without any suggestion of coercion and with the distinct understanding that the final decision rests with the editor. Such consultation with influential newspapers is, of course, the accepted practice of Govern- ment officials concerned with foreign relations in all democratic nations, including your own.
It is deeply regrettable if newspapers over- played the news, thereby inducing the mood that led to the Canton outrage. But if this is true, it is difficult to see how we could have avoided it short of measures which would have seriously weakened our democratic processes of government. China shares with the British people her detestation of the acts of violence which took place yesterday week in Canton. But I am certain that The Times would be the last to suggest we permit these events to stampede us into the backward step of peace- time censorship.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, HOLLINGTON K. TONG, Director, Chinese Government Information Office.
Nanking, China, Jan. 23.
287
mer
27 JAN 1940
MR Wallace 1/535
MR Magle. th. Radford Арал