Newspaper Manceuvres to Outwit Police: Officialdom on Stilts By Atraco E. Pienes, Tokyo, Oct. 7.
The censorship may have been abolished in other lands since the termination of the Great War, but in Japan it continues in. various forms, and one of the great games fact are, day by day growing stricter and) stricter. The ie line, in addition to their other duties, that of being the nation's censors too, and infringement of the ukases issued by them are punishable by suppression of that Particular issue of the paper and often, in addition, by a substantial fine.
In attempting to suppress news that would be of passing interest to a few readers only—for i developments in connex China's Tuchun tussle, which are carefully scanned by the censor: 'a fertile field has opened out whereby the reporter manages to secure tive" news items.
Soon after the Chinese civil wa: broke out, the censors demanded that no mention be made of the imports of rice to Japan from China and/or India. The Hochi, a metropolitan newspaper with' a circulation of over a million daily, printed a paragraph to the effect that rice was being, imported from Indo-China. A printer's devil omitted the hyphen and put instead a comma between the two char acters representing Indo (India)
China. Result: the entire edi: tion was suppressed.
Newspaper Reprisal Last week, newspaper, men managed to "put one over" on the censors. When the Supreme Court took up the trial of Daisuké Namba, would-be assassin of the Prince Regent, the Police immediately issued orders that the papers print nothing except such news as was released by the board of censors. managed to secure a very good that ix discernible all: throughout, inside" story of the accused and from start to finish, is the glorifies knew that if it was submitted to|tion of death as. the the censor it would. be hopeless extent' Besides, the [do and die without orders were that the papers must|theme dear to the not print other things on the trial than what emanated from the censor. There was nothing said about submitting copy to the censor, or of things not dealing strictly with cher-ups" in the office thought their reporter had really a fine "scoop" on what wus, for 'Japan, the most important news of 4 inside" story was rely and quickly set up, the pages closed earlier than usual, and a good three hours before the "higher-ups" generally called it day, everyone with any authority left' the office.
The "Learned Gentleman"
About 10 at night a phone message came from the Police, asking that nothing at all, not even what had been released by the censors during the day, be published on the Namba trial, that not even the criminal's name be mentioned, The ; ht watchman answered the tele-Phone and pleaded that there was one in authority who could stop the press, and that, for -his part, he was not sufficiently erudite to find out exactly what article had to be removed. Would the Police not kindly send over a learned In the meantime, every copy that been already printed was hur-nedly packed into several motor cars and distributed far-and wide.
When the "learned gentleman" of the Police arrived, he proceeded to deface the offensive article on the metal pages.
The next day the paper had its scoop, and the public its laugh at the expense of the police. The "learned gentleman" was severely quizzed by his. higher-ups, while the night watchman and the printers wore substantially rewarded by their higher-ups.
Hayakawa's "La Bataille"
Further proof of the occasional stupidity of the police as censors became available about the same time that a newspaper succeeded' sors badly, when Sessue., Hay:
given a private' screening here.
The film was made in France and 18 battleships are said to have been loaned the Japanese film actor by. the French Government towards its: production, Amongst those present at the frst private showing were high Army and Navy officers, including" Admiral Togo. The Navy Department were. 0 pleased that they promised the naval band to play free at the first public showing. No one suggested That the film in any way permitted possibilities of endangering the country's defence.
Tokyo's Mrs." Grundy The Police at first thought it did. The Navy men laughed at the police openly. The Police retorted by replying that they (the Police) were the official censors and that the Navy Department might please have some respect for the opinions of others, and be sufficiently courteous to wait ill their views were sought—thus providing newspaper men, because of his very cons ship, with more stu for more ive" ston Ultimately, the Police came the conclusion that. "after mature deliberation," the country's defence was not endangered, but brought another argument. against, show= ug the film, This was that a matron appears during the battle between the Japanese fleet and the "enemy." The matron's part is taken by Tsuru Aoki (Mrs, Ha kawa) and the police dubbed thi as "immoral," This objection was also afterwards over-yuled by the Home Office.
Militarists Rejoice "La Bataille" is now showing. Tokyo and has received conside: able praise from the—militarily-minded who hail it ax an excellent medium for infusing the youth of the country with martial ardour. Some go the length of suggesting that the Education Department display it free to all the students of the land, The best that can be said of the picture is that Sessue Hayakawa and his wife attain splendid heights of emotion, for which dramatic virtue both' are already famous, Throughout the warp and woof of One of the vernacular. papers the film, like a steady undertone noblest. form mutilated of patriotism, the spirit of but asking why, hearts of literists and bigearmament lovers the world over 'There is a tremendous naval engfugemen:, at very close quarters, between' the Japanese fleet and "Powerful enemy." Even. before the actual smoke of battle clears; matron is seen on the deck of Jzore-begrimed battleship, with tears streaming down her eyes, drinking to "my hero" who died in' her arms and whose lust words were: "Vie-tory is Ours," said to be emblematic the "indomitable spirit of the Japanese."
Admiral Togo's Comment It is this role of Madame Haykawa that has caused the Police dub the film "indecent." The film has, so far, been shown only Int the Imperial "Hotel at high" prices. When it is released at rates more within the purse of the man in the street, the Police might still have the pleasure of cutting off a few yards of the celluloid and officially recording that, once again, they valiantly stepped into the breach and saved the. morals of Japan from possible contamination and damnation.
Admiral Togo, who was present at-the first filming of "La Bataille, commented that, if the Japanese Navy had lent war vessels for the screening of a film, there Would-be 'a tremendous outcry, a "naval scandal," questions in the Diet, and possibly even cashierings, "dis missals and resignations, Tux Russian sloop, is reported to have presented to Dr. Sun Yat-sen 2,000 rifles and seven "7.5 calibre guns, which were transferred by several Chinese junks from Whampoa on October 8. There arms were subsequently landed and temporarily stored at the Military Academy, Dr. Sun Yat-sen has appointed General Hsu Tsung-chi concurrently Minister of War, vice General Chen Tuan, who has been appointed Commande in-Chief of, the Chienkuo, Army—in Hunan.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.