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Chapter 5.

NEWSPAPERS.

The English language newspapers published in Hong Kong are: The China Mail, (daily; founded in 1845 and the oldest English newspaper on the China Coast); The Sunday Herald, published by the same company as the China Mail; The South China Morning Post (daily, including Sundays) and the Hong Kong Telegraph, (an afternoon paper published daily excluding Sundays), both produced by one company.

All these newspapers continued to appear throughout the period of hostilities in December, 1941, in spite of bombing and of severe and increasing technical difficulties due to the hostilities. On the re-occupation of the Colony the liberating forces were surprised to find when their leading units came ashore that a British newspaper was already being distribut- ed; this was a single-sheet "extra" edition of the South China Morning Post, announcing the impending arrival of Admiral Harcourt's forces.

There are nine morning papers and five evening papers published daily in Chinese. The leading morning paper is the Wah Kiu Yat Po. This newspaper, the Sing Tao Jih Pao and the Kung Sheung Daily News together form the backbone of the local vernacular press and it is in these three papers that Government notices are published. The leading evening paper is the Hsin Sheng Wan Pao. The Chinese newspapers represent all shades of opinion.