CENSORSHIP IN CHINA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19808, 1 December 1927, Page 15

CENSORSHIP IN CHINA.

EFFORT TO MUZZLE PAPER. POSTAL FACILITIES DENIED. ■ •' " REVOCATION OF AN ORDER. [from our own correspondent.] SHANGHAI, Sept. 80. The business of running a newspaper under present conditions in China is no sinecure and our leading British daily journal is having more than its share of troubles and trials. Some months ago the paper in question received a visit from two Chinese, who stated they were members of the political , bureau of the Nationalist revolutionary army and that they had been instructed to obtain full information regarding the paper's circulation, financial condition, policy, method of editing news, etc. Tho Chines© "seekers after knowledge" were politeiy but firmly told by the management that such questions were none of their business and that tho power of the Political Bureau did not extend within tho International Settlement of Shanghai. After further argument on the part of tho Chinese officials they left the office of the newspaper without the desired information. Tho same newspaper last July had occasion to sue in tho Provisional Court a former tenant for arrears of rent. Tho presiding Judge absolutely refused to hear the case. Ho stated openly in Court that the newspaper in question was a criminal organ and that tho employees of the .paper were no better than criminals. Tho Judge based his remarks on the fact that tho general conduct of the Provisional Court, and also several amazing judgments of tho Judge, had boon severely criticised by tho newspaper. Now the Chinese post office has taken a hand in the game by refusing the newspaper the usual postal facilities. A large number of copies of tho paper are sent daily to the post office to bo mailed to various places in China and abroad. Following tho usual practice, tho papers were delivered at tho post office one morning toward the beginning of last month and tho customary receipt was given. At 10 a.m. on the samo morning a telephone message was received by the newspaper from the post office to the effect that instructions had been given that the newspaper was refused transmission through the post, and requesting that the papers be taken away. At first no official reason was given for this exceptional action, although it was whispered that it was done by the order of the military authorities. Finally a statement was issued by the Commander-in-Chief of the Nationalist armies that tho newspaper "has fabricated and published news items with the view of rousing distrust and causing dissension, thereby prejudicing our military plans"; therefore the transmission of the newspapers through the Chinese post office must stop. Notwithstanding appeals to the Diplomatic Body at Peking the Nationalists Government remained adamant, and for nearly six weeks no newspapers of the offending variety were accepted by the post office. This military order, however, did not apply to tho other half dozen foreign newspapers issued in Shanghai; although it wqg extremely difficult for a layman to realise in what respect the news items published by these other newspapers differed. Finally, about September 17, an order was issued by the local Chinese authorities rescinding the instructions to the Chinese post office to refuse transmission of the newspaper through the post. No reason was given for this "change of face" on the part of tbo Nationalists. Probably it is another case of their leaders realising that their power is weakening and that it is impolite to disregard old-established conventions.

Fortunately for the newspaper that came under .the ban of the Nanking Government, the British military authorities have established a military post office in Shanghai, using British stamps. This post office, by permission of the military authorities, also accepts letters and papers, but not parcels, from the civil population of Shanghai for all places in the world except China; now British garrisons have been established at Tientsin and Weihaiwei mail is also accepted for these places. During the prohibitive period, the newspapers were delivered to the residents of outports through the courtesy of the captains and officers of British merchantmen. i That the action of the Nationalist Government was an open violation of the rules governing the Postal Union apparently did not concern the leaders of the "Young China Movement."