Friday's issue of "The People's Tribune" contains as its prinelp editorial article a suggestion' that an International Press Association should be set up in Shanghai to "uphold and protect the best traditions" of the Journalistic profession, The attic commends the idea as a sort of "self censorship" for the purpose of maintaining "professional standards" and of seeing that news Is given out fully and accurately, that any" offences against pro: {eysional ethics not within the province cof the law courts may" be promptly trid ettectively. dealt with, 'The proposal merits. sympathetic consideration, It bears a' close re: semblance to suggestions which have been tentatively made from time. ume by individual journalists," The difficulty of giving general eudora ment to the form in which "The People's Tribune" sponsors it, es. the fact that that article seems more concerned to proceed on the basis. of the alleged delinquencies of foreign correspondents than to consolidate all Journalists in the common purpose of ensuring proper standards of professional practice. Moreover the profession is not here in a sumelently Organized state to justify the belief that so ambitious a project can be satisfactorily launched. It might be better, at first, to attempt the formation of a Press Iuneneon club at which, gradually, by the interchange of ideas and opinions, a more accurate sense of the general feeling In the Profession could be generated, Owing fo the international composition of the journalistic corps in Shanghai it would be dificult to imagine direst Jaddress to the task of forming a def: Inlte association without encountering a conflict in view and. purpose which would tend to exacerbate and not to compose relationships withld the profession.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.