To the Editor of the "NomrH-CuiNA Dany News"
Sm,—So long as possessors of wireless receiving sets pay no licences it must be assumed that we take what is given us in the way of programmes and be thankful that we get anything at all.
Recent letters to you, Mr. Editor, on the subject of the manner and style employed in broadcast announc ing encourage me to trespass on your valuable space.
For some weeks past I have been in the habit of listening in' to à regular weekly summary of world happenings and local war news, and l admit that for the first few weeks I came to look forward to these "broadcasts, enjoyed their freshness and novelty of presentation and commended the item to my friends.
Latterly, however, these broadcasts dave rapidly deteriorated, and the limit was reached (for myself) in the: last given. Henceforth I shall neither "listen in' to that broadcast nor purchase the journal responsible for these fulminations.
A contrast between a B. B. C. broadcast of news and this local stuff "would be invidious, for the two are simply not in the same class. But in times like these, when people's minds require steadying so that judgment may be quiet and balanced, the obvious efforts at alarming the apprehensive and exciting the temperimental is something altogether to be condemned.
"In the very last broadcast of this journal, for instance, the commentary On European and China news was crashed into by four fashes/—e flash being, I take it, a piece of stop-press news that has been handed to ihe announcer while actually announcing. These flashes were almost spat out, as if the listener were simply hungry for a bit of sen-nationalism. The first flash was actually stale news, being that of a bomb-throwing incident which had taken Place nearly three hours previously. Another flash was to the effect that Mr, Chamberlain's return to Germany had been advanced from early next week to this week end,—a statement that was simply not true, as proved in the B. B. C. later the same evening.
Beyond these, certain very caustic remarks about England were- made by this commentator which betrayed bad taste, a lack of reading of modern. history and violent racial prejudice. "We were told that "England never gave anything away." This was repeated and emphasized with deliberation and scorn, Many Englishmen today feel that England gave far too much away when she scrapped her armaments, under the Ramsay Mai donald regime, in the hope that she might lead the world in the paths of peace. To that sacrifice may be due the loss of Manchuria to China Proper, the conquest and seizure of Abyssinia and, most probably, the present impasse in central Europe. Possibly the British Dominions—more especially the Union of South Africa—could also furnish a reply to the commentator's charges that "Britain never gave anything away!
The announcer also spoke of the colossal "game of bluff" that was being played by all the great powers "with. the exception of France," and part of that great game of bluff—he said—was Mr. Chamberlain's visit to Herr Hitler. 1 The writer could not hàve thought it was possible that there could be anywhere a shadow of doubt as to the sincerity of Mr. Chamberlain and his cabinet and the country behind them. Were there ever greater proofs Of a sincere search for peace than the intent and effort of the Runciman Mission or the amazing courage and resourcefulness which have won universal approval of Mr. Chamberlain himself and of his country?
The commentator referred to has every right to speak his mind: that is one of the great liberties enjoyed in England—who "never gave anything away." But let him consider the dignity of his calling as a journal list and contribute something of a steadying, constructive character, and eschew all cheap theatrical effects and too-obvious efforts to inflame public opinion. Then his racy commentaries may.be worth listening to once more. Till then—no more listening to this particular broadcast for SUBSCRIBER, Shanghai, Sept. 17.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.