CO129-420 - Governor Sir May - 1915 [1-2] — Page 226

CONFIDENTIAL.

)

Sir,

623-5

223

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONGKONG.

3rd February, 1915.

vernor's Conf. Desp, of 3.11.1914.

4€ 3

veror's Conf.

Desp.

of 14.1.1915.

With reference to my confidential despatches noted in the margin, I have the honour to submit for your consideration the

following correspondence from which you will observe that the General Officer Commanding the Troops claims the power to imposs a drastic Censorship of the Press in this Colony under powers which he considers to be vested in him by Clause 3 Section 1 of

the Order-in-Council of 26th October, 1896.

2.

There has been some correspondence in the local Press concerning the want of patriotism of young Englishmen, dubbed "shirkers* in contradistinction to "workers", who have not joined the Volunteer Force or the Volunteer Reserves. On the 19th January a letter, copy enclosed, was published in the Daily Press, commenting on the remmeration of Assistant Censors. These I may mention do four hours duty in the twenty-four and are paid at the rate of 85 and 83 a day according to whether they are not in the Government Civil Mervice or are members of that Service.

3.

The Chief Censor, Mr. T. K. Dealy, in a letter, copy enclosed, to the Military Censor took exception to this letter, and the Colonial Secretary in conversation with the General Officer Commanding happened to mention the letter which

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LEWIS HARCOURT, M.P.,

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