Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-19
THE CENSORSHIP In china
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record Herald

" e. CURTIS
the Chicago Record Herald.
| to 'miseries affecting the people and
| leave the imperial mobiles alone.
| In the meantime Prince Ching, with
| the cunning that has characterized all Of
his public acts, rendered his resignation.
This was the conventional step that any
Chinese official would be expected to take
In order to relieve his sovereign of the
embarrassment of Diminishing him. and in
communicating 1t he showed his humility
by debasing himself, importing pardon for
his ignorance, weakness and folly. and
protesting his loyalty to his sovereign.
His communication brought matters to a
crisis and the regent returned the resig
nation to the prime minister, commended
him in extravagant terms. confirmed his
power and authority, and added new
honors to the many he already enjoys.
Chang, the accuser, was cashered, de-
graded and banished to his former home.
which he will not be allowed to leave
without special permission from the
throne.
Although the great majority Of the
newspapers, and particularly the foreign
element In China, are Of the opinion that
the charges OF Chang were generally
true, and that Prince Ching is quite as
bad a man as represented, no tears are
shed for the fate OF the censor. The board
! Is regarded as an antiquated humbug and
Its administration as doing more harm
than good. As have already suggested.
there will be no need Of such a system
more vigilant and impartial in their es-
pionage OF the official conduct and char
acter Of the officials.
-
Before the Boxer troubles the number
OF newspapers in China could be counted
on Your fingers The
Newspapers oldest newspaper in the
=. n1.;.. world Is the Picking Ga
Al O"' zette, the official organ Of
government. in which the edicts OF the
emperor. appointments to office, cere-
| monial announcements and other author
lied news have been published regularly
| for several thousand years. The next old
est is Shen Tao, which was started as a
| weekly in Shanghai in, the COS and be-
came daily about twenty years ago.
There have been commercial papers pub
lished in the Chinese language for the
purpose of giving market quotations and
shipping intelligence at al of the prin-
c!pal ports for many years. but since the
Boxer troubles and the liberal policy of
the government adopted by the late en-
| press-dowager. daily and weekly news
papers have sprung up In every city of
| Importance. There is even a daily paper
devoted exclusively to the interests of the
women OF China 1t is published at
. Picking. 1t is called the Women's News
| and it is edited by a. Mrs. Chang, a ma
! tive Of PekinR the widow of an official,
a woman of remarkable character, intel
| lect and breadth of vision, although she
| has never been beyond the boundaries of
per Is to uplift her sex, to remove preju-
dice and superstition and to teach tine
women OF China their duty to themselves
and their country. Mrs. Chang has been
inep Svto ion {ycf
foot binding, social slavery, the seclusion
Of women and other ancient customs. and
advocates the education Of women, physi-
cal culture, social activity and the adop-
ton Of foreign customs.
X
The government has adopted regula tons
for the discipline of newspapers. which
were prepared by a
Governments distinguished tai tai and
n.. former minister to
to England. Germany and France to make
an investigation of the conduct OF the
press in those countries. The regula-
tons went into effect last May. and con-
tanned some curious provisions. For ex-
ample. all publishers. editors. printers and
other employees Of a newspaper must be
Of sound mind. over twenty years Of age
and must never have been convicted of
crime. A copy OF each issue OF every
paper must be signed by the responsible
editor and filed with a local magistrate.
so that the government and the public
may know who is to blame for errors or
Misrepresentation.
One of the rules says: Corrections
or denials Of misstatements must be
published in the next issue. and In
case the number Of words used in the cor
rection or denial is more than the num-
Der OF words in the original statement.
the remainder may be charged at one-half
the ordinary advertisement list"
Pecuniary responsibility for libel is
limited to the value Of the plant, but
those who print falsehoods concerning the
throne. or disturb the peace of the
public, or articles that tend to the degra-
dation of the people. are liable to i'm
prisonment for not less than six months
or more than two years. and papers that
publish secret diplomatic intelligence are
suppressed for a time, according to the
gravity of the offense.
The principal papers are beginning to
receive Geographic news from Europe and
Japan, which Is furnished them by a
news agency-the same which supplies
Chinese news to European and American
papers, but the greater portion of the
contents Of the average paper consists of
discussions Of local questions and exhor-
tations to the people to send their chill
to stop binding the feet Of girl babies
and other reforms.
There are many anti-foreign papers
which are exceedingly bitter in denounc-
ing every act Of the
Anti FOrelgn government favoring
nl,.A: foreign relations.
EuDA1catAonS' There are plenty of
yellow sheets, anarchistic in their senti-
ments and sensational in their treatment
of all matters. and they are usually edited
by young men who have obtained a super
fetal education in Japan and have imbib-
ed the spirit of the soshi, the Bohemians
OF that country. Several of these young
agitator4. have secured seats In the i'm
perial Senate and the provincial as
semblies.
The advertisements in Chinese papers
are quite as interesting as the literary
and news columns, and while it is impos-
sible for a foreigner to read them, the
illustrations have familiar look The
larger part are furnished by patent medi-
cine dealers and insurance companies but
everything you can think of is offered for
sale.
The number OF people in China who are
able to read is so few that some of the
magistrates employ literary men, whose
business is to read the contents Of the
newspapers to whonlever will listen. The
| same thing is done in Turkey since the
constitution was adopted. It is also GUS
tomary for men who are able to read to
open little intelligence shops. and at GER
tain hours OF the day read aloud the con-