Pointed questions were asked by foreign newspaper correspondents at yesterday morning's press conference with regard to the report, published n yesterday's issue of the "North-China Daily News", alleging that foreign correspondents have been paid subsidies by the Chinese Government. The report in question, it will be recalled, was in the form of a Reuter message from Tokyo. "This report", Aeclared one of the correspondents, puts other foreign correspondents under suspicion of having received bribes. Would it be possible for the spokesman to name the correspondents who are alleged to have received bribes?"
The correspondent went on to so; that the allegation was a smear on all foreign correspondents in China. The spokesman replied that the report specifically mentioned one agency as having received 10,000 yuan of the 40,580 earmarked as a "monthly encouragement for the newspaper industry." The message reporting the alleged bribery of foreign correspond-anis mentions Reuters as being "earmarked" for 10,000 yuan. The correspondent said that this still left over 30,000 yuan to be accounted for, and this put every foreign correspondent under suspicion of having received part of that sum.
"This report", continued the correspondent, "has probably been fashed all over the world, and it casts a serious slur upon foreign correspondents in China".
"The documents upon which the allegation is based", replied the spokesman, "are available, and steps will be taken to have them brought here, and presented to you for your inspection".
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.