CO537-1658 — Page 61

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Mandarin romanization: "Hwa Chiao Joh Pao") and Your Petitioner

today is one of the main shareholders and the Managing Director

of the limited company operating and publishing the said news-

paper, which same paper has become the most powerful and

influential of Chinese dailies in Hong Kong with assets valued

at about $2,000,000.00 Hong Kong Currency (£125,000/- Sterling)

and a circulation of about 50,000 daily, Your Petitioner

respectfully draws attention to the fact that though the daily

circulation is in the figure of 50,000, the actual number of

readers would be far in excess of this number.

The Wah Kiu Yat Po attained this popularity by reason of

its liberal, progressive and impartial policy, which the

editorial staff kept free fo any political rein, control or

bias. The said newspaper particularly obtained a reputation

pre-war for its championing of the rights and interests of the

Hong Kong public, as well as for its reasonable and favourable

co-operation with the Hong Kong Government.

8.

On the occupation of Hong Kong in December 1941 by the

Japanese, the latter immediately issued an order specifically to

the whole staff of the Wah Kiu Yat Po prohibiting their

departure from the Colony and insisting upon publication of the

paper being continued. This measure was obviously taken because

the Wah Kiu Yat Po was known to the Japanese to be the principal

vernacular circulating pre-war, Your Petitioner decided that

the assets of the newspaper were too valuable to be abandoned and

that in any event abandonment by Your Petitioner of the newspaper

would certainly lead to its falling into direct control by a

puppet appointed by the Japanese authorities, and Your Petitioner

therefore decided to remain in the Colony and to continue

publication of the news paper by steering a difficult delicate

course of apparent collaboration with the Japanese authorities

whilst using the paper at the same time, for the purpose of

2.

hus.