CO129-447 - Governor Sir May - 1918 [1-3] — Page 324

Sonclosure!

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The Songkong War Propaganda Compittee has for some months asaisted in the distribution of the rollsack WAY 181

Chengpass, and with the available information has come to the

conclusion:-

1. That the illustrated (home) Chengvos is liked by the

Chinese, but it is very doubtful if it has any effect sithen

in inolining their sympathies towards our cause or in inducing

■ belief that it will succeed. The illustrated paper nesis

supplementing by written matter.

2. That the Shanghai Changpso does not fulfil the purpose

for which it is issued. It does not supplement suffolently

the illustrated paper. It is held to fail pri: cinally because

it laoks looal news, and, secondly, because it is out of date,

being published fortnightly. Much of the paper is said to be

meaningless to the Up-country Chinese, who do not unde-stand

and take no interest whatever in details of cammatene în parte

of the world of whose very existence they are ignorant.

The Committee are unanimously of the opinion that

nearly all the money expended on these publications is wasted,

and, while nothing but admivation can be exprimal for the

printing and appearance of the illustrated paper, they believe

that the same amount of money could be more profitably utilised

in other directiona.

It appears that at Shanghai a daily newspaper

has been published now for some months with British capital

and intended to promete British interests, although zun

altogether as a vernaculur paper. A ocimmunoation hae bern

addressed to the British Chamber of Comence at Canton

suggesting that the circulation of this paper should be extended

to South China, and, it is believed, inviting subaoriptionJ

towards its capital.

The Committed are of opinion that any paner

published in Shanghai would fail for reasons similar to those

which have militated against the success of the Shanghai