The new Kings Regulation which was Published in these columns yesterday will be welcomed by those who have watched with some concern the activities of certain newspapers published in the Chinese language under the cloak of British ownership. By it H. M. Ambassador has been given wide powers With which he should be able to check the publication of matter which should not be published in view of the prevailing circumstances. Obviously it is improper that Chinese e publications hiding behind British extraterritoriality should be permitted to publish articles not only offensive to nations with which Great Britain is in amity, but actually offensive to Great Britain herself. The terms of the Regulation make it quite plain that respectable publishers have nothing to fear. They will be required, if they publish matter in any other language than English to take out their licence, and in that respect there has been no discrimination against any particular section of the publishing world. But it is made quite clear in the terms of the Regulation that those who are aimed at are those concerns, which, under a thin cloak of British nationality, are disseminating matter calculated to endanger the good relations which should exist between the various communities in such a place as Shanghai, and more especially in the peculiar circumstances prevailing. It has been claimed that this regulation amounts to the establishment of a censorship. In fact it does not, though it does provide the authorities with a means to correcting an abuse which has already been noticed. It constitutes no check upon newspapers of British ownership properly conducted, and it is rot to be believed that the powers thus given to the Ambassador will be used in any capricious manner. The freedom of the Press is very jealously regarded by the ordinary Briton, but when that freedom is allowed to degenerate into licence then obviously a time has come for halt to be called. It should also be noticed that with the exhibition of the Regulation in H.M, Consulate-General on Tuesday it became immediately effective, and is now necessary for all firms publishing newspapers, pamphlets or other publications in any language but English to obtain the necessary licence,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.