CO129-420 - Governor Sir May - 1915 [1-2] — Page 239

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Enclosure J

236

Hongkong Daily Press Office, Ltd.

Hongkong, 26th January, 1915,

The Hon: The Colonial Secretary,

Hongkong.

10002

23 MAR 15

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Dear Sir,

Mr. Hale has conveyed to me your assurance that the

incident which arose in connection with the publication, in our

issue of the 19th instant, of a letter criticising the rate of

payment to the Censors may now be considered as closed.

Thile, however, this may be regarded as renoving any

indignity which the summons to appear before the Provost-Marshal

was intended to convey, it still leaves unanswered the important

question raised upon that occasion as to the position of the

Press in the present crisis. The Provost-Marshal sought to

establish the principle that we were now "followers of the

General" and, as such, were liable, like a soldier, to be

punished for any disobedience of ordera. The opinion was

further expressed that newspapers must not venture to publish

anything of which the civil and military authorities might

disapprove, though it is only fair to add that, when invited

to put that in writing, the Provost-Marshal replied that he

would prefer to consult the General first.

You will realise, as we pointed out at the time, that

such a serious encroachment upon the liberty of the Press as

this implied could not be accepted without question, and that

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