Unexplained Repression by Peking Censorship: Government Fear of Truth While from Outside the Capital the Public Are Freely Informed of Course of Events Peking, Oct, 18.
Mr. B. Lenox Simpson requests Reuter's Agency to state that the "Far Eastern Times" received a domiciliary visit from the Police Headquarters on Friday afternoon connexion with the publication of war news. Mr. Carrel Lunt, the General Manager, at the request, the Police Headquarters proceeded the Judicial Affairs Department, was submitted to. an interrogatory. No. specific article or news Stem was complained of, but it, was merely stated that "the "Par Eastern "Times" "had published news which had disturbed the public pence. No other" indication. war given as to what the specific charge was or where peace had been di Yurbed—the whole matter remains a mystery.
At half-past eight a police, di patch was received by the "Far Rastern. Times" "stating that the iktue ofthe prosies would be seal The entire issue was duly printed ud sent to the delivery rooms at 4 am, where the police sealed Goples have been sent to all the high officers of the Government, The following is the main article the front page in which the ianaigement sets forth its position and argument:—esterday afternoon our newspaper offices were visited by. the police and a whole series of in-Conveniences put. on vs which needless to mention in detail form part of the general ficial procedure in Peking. 1 problem of what constitutes legi mate news from the point of of the Government during period of civil war and what, to uso the phrase of the Gensor's of has great concern with local peace: and order.'
The Censor's Requirements?
"We said editorially as late as Thuysday, October 16, that the newspapers in the capital have been eft entirely in the dark as to what the Censor requires, So far as we know we have never published any information of value to the enemy Jand practically all the great volume of war news is taken from the! agencies to which we subscribe. In the ease of newspapers like the 'Shuntien Shik Pao' and other Japanese organs very-full and deled accounts of troop movements often appear.
We have ourselves Jeu out counties esting. mater be unfair to publish it even in English at the present crisis.
"What we require is an absolute ruling. If the authorities will declare that nothing can be published on the war excepting what is given out by them we will naturally chide by. the decision. If, again, they do not Jeure for this procedure, but would like to put a censor in' our offices, jon during this war period on his shoulders,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.