Hongkong, Aug. 30.
The evil of the "mosquito" papers is brought to the attention of the general public when a nurse of Tung Wah hospital successfully claimed $1,000 damages against the editor of the "Tai Th Bult" (Great Joy) before Justice J. R. Wood in the Summary Court. The substance of the libel said that the plaintiff was a young woman of low moral and that though she was not beautiful she had tried her best to attract men who visited the hospital.
As she was a student nurse, she considered that the article in the mosquito paper would ruin her|- career after graduation next month. The authorities of the hospital took up the matter, but since the nurse is not rich enough to retain a barrister, Mr. M. K. Loo, a well Known local solicitor was asked to take up the case, At first it was Thought that the damages would certainly exceed over a thousand dollars in which case the plaintiff had to retain counsel to sue the newspaper editor in the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Tt was finally decided to take pro-against the mosquito paper by asking $1,000 damages, and such suit could be brought before the summary jurisdiction of the Supreme Court where solicitors could argue before the puisne judge.
Mr, M. K, Loo is warmly congratulated for taking up the case on behalf of a defenceless woman who otherwise has no means of remedy or relief against mercenary Journalists and their abominable publications. It is understood that the solicitor undertook the case at a pecuniary loss in order to safeguard victims against the scurrilous pens of unscrupulous writers.
The government is urged to look into the activities of these "mos-quite" papers. The "China Mail" an English evening daily, enquired "how these papers have been allowed to-come into existence and whether slanderous articles in thes papers pass through the censors of the Secretary of Chinese affairs? Tt appears that these irresponsible journals are allowed more scope than bona fide Chinese dailies, and the sooner the Government looks into the matter, the better it, will be for all respectable citizens."
The Chinese residents wonder why the censors at the Secretary for Chinese Affairs did permit the appearance of libellous and seandalous articles in the mosquito papers. It was believed that they are either too careless or do not have sufficient knowledge of the Chi to understand the innuendoes of the crafty editorial writers. Very often the expressions of the mercenary writers are couched in somewhat anvbiguous language, though the inner meaning seems clear. The respectable vernacular dailies always complain against the unnecessary deletion of important ble despatches by the censors, while they fail to hold libellous matters against defenceless men and women.
Like their contemporaries in Shanghai and Canton, the "mos-quite" papers in Hongkong have made good money. They usually come out once or twice a week, and their size is about one-fifth of the ordinary daily. For these reasons, the proprietor of such a paper need hire only one writer for the work. The cost of printing and editorial staff is very low, and the price is only one cent a copy. In most cases, a mosquito paper contains interesting matters about actresses, movie stars and high officials with plenty of "inside dope" ies, and the result the price is raised to $1 a copy. Recently one of these papers printed very absorbing story about the escapades of a well-known Cantonese movie star in Shanghai and her acquaintance with high officials in Nanking and Mukden. For such a "scoop" the paper made a handsome profit.
Other "mosquito" papers are devoted to political matters and attack mostly Nanking officials for their maladministration and corrupt tion. The public like to read stuff concerning individuals, and oven the personal affairs of government off cials.are.written in a: fascinating and illuminating style,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.