CO537-1658 — Page 69

" In order to prevent such papers who have collaborated with

" the enemy from cheating the public by change of name and

" re-organisation etc., the authorities have sent officials to

"Hong Kong to keep a close watch on these papers.

Preparations

" are also under way to take the following further action with

"these papers.

" China, as an allied power, is entitled by treaty, to take

" over all properties left behind in Hong Kong and Kowloon by "the Japanese. These newspapers, having collaborated with

"the enemy, should be considered as part of the enemy property.

"The authorities concerned will therefore base on the above

" ruling to negotiate with the Hong Kong Government for taking

* over of these newspapers, precedent action having been taken

" in Shanghai in regard to the 'Shun Pao' and the 'Shanghai

" Sun Pao' whose property and plant etc. had already been

" seized by the Chinese Government.”

22. After the banning of publication in Canton, various other parties approached Your Petitioner offering to help to lift the ban, but invariably ending in asking for substantial "gifts".

23.

Your Petitioner attempted representations to the Canton

authorities to end this course of persecution and in the beginning of April 1946 sent Your Petitioner's Chief Editor

to Canton to negotiate a settlement which would ensure no

A control over the policy of Your Petitioner's newspaper.

member of the Consultative Council of the Cantonese Government

Mr. Chang Pak-hoi was approached but even the tentative terms of the amicable settlement proposed by this member were obvious- ly unsatisfactory to Your Petitioner and that approach led to

no settlement. These tentative terms were :-

The

"(1) The editorial department is to be re-organised.

"present Chief Editor is to give up the post; the vacancy

"so caused can either be filled by a nominee of the Central

10.

Ind.