Evening star., 1947-06-15


dered by garrison headquarters at
Tientsin and in other cities, making
the first real sign of resumption of
wartime restrictions on press free
dom in China in more than a year.
Within a fortnight number OF
Chinese reporters and editors were
arrested and newspaper plants in
various parts of the nation were
closed.
Mexico: Vicente Villasana, editor
of the Tampico Ell Mundo, was shot
and killed March 81 by the Tamauli-
pas state police inspector. That
method of trying to influence news
papers was denounced throughout
Mexico, the Governor of the prov
ince was removed and President
Aleman went on record again for
freedom of the press.
Nicaragua: Total censorship be-
came effective May rs as Gen.
Anastasio Somoza carried out his
military coup d'etat which over
threw the government of DR.. Leon
ardo Argueilo. News stories were
checked first by the office censor
and then sent to the national de-
fense Office, where Maj. Luis Somoza,
son of the general, approved or
disapproved them. Any question
arising there was submitted to Gen.
Somoza for final action. No men,
ton of the censorship was permitted
in any cable.
La Prensa Stands Ground
Newspapers were told they could
publish May 26 and n but with a
censor in their office. All except
Novedades, owned by Gen. Somoza.
closed. They resumed publication
Nav % but were careful not to
criticize Somoza.
Before the Somoza coup, there
was no censorship and newspapers
were free to say what they thought.
Paraguay: When the civil war
began March 7, the almost non
existent freedom of the press dis
appeared totally. Dispatches OF for
eign correspondents are heavily
censored. The government said this
is necessary for military security.
No opposition newspapers are per-
mitted to publish; the others print
what they are told to print.
Argentina: Foreign correspond
ents have complete freedom and are
not censored, nor is the domestic
press subjected to censorship. How
ever. President Peron showed his
displeasure with the leading opposi-
ton paper, La Prensa. The news
paper held its ground, and in recent
weeks the campaign against it has
died down.
Palestine Has Restrictions
Guatemala: Decree No. 372, prom
ulgated April "a, sets up press, radio
and publishing responsibility with
a seven-member jury to determine
if there has been an offense against
private life" or morals" Copies
of everything published, even mime
ographed news or political sheets,
must be deposited with the govern
ment, but after publication and not
before.
Palestine: No censorship of for
eign correspondents, but they are
restricted by ban on all contacts
with government or military Off
cials except those arranged by the
government public information
office. The domestic press is Gen.
sored but'is allowed to make bitter
attacks on the government. The
papers cannot mention the exiled
Mufti of Jerusalem, nor carry in
tervieWs with Jewish underground
groups and public statements that
call to action"
Turkey: No censorship on foreign
correspondents, but there are bar
riers on the entry Of news from
abroad. The Associated Press is
the only foreign agency which is
distributing directly to newspapers
and private subscribers in Turkey.
Ahmet Emin Yalman, American
educated publisher of the liberal
newspaper Vatan, was sentenced
with two members of his staff to
five months in prison for allegedly
insulting the Vail CMayor)) of Izmir.
Newspapers in Istanpul can be and
often are closed by the military on
the grounds that they disturbed
the tranquility of the public"
Egypt: No censorship on foreign
newsmen, but the domestic operates
under some restrictions.
Correspondents Protested
Syria: No censorship on foreign
correspondents, but their dispatches
are given to the telegraph Office in
duplicate and one of those two
copies is forwarded to the press
bureau. The government has sus-
pended papers it considers unde-
sirable or unfriendly.
Iran: Dispatches from Iran are
not censored but are transmitted
and then translated and carefully
studied by government authorities.
India: Dispatches reporting riots
in the Punjab and Northwest
Frontier provinces in March were
delayed or stopped by the two prov
incial governments but censorship
was relaxed after foreign CORE
spondents protested.
France: An Agence France Press
correspondent was expelled from
Bulgaria, and France retaliated by
expelling all Bulgarian correspond
ents from Paris. An AFP corre-
sponent was expelled from Spain
but France has not yet retaliated.
Sat, nj