Show I Press Censorship I In Japan The greater the misrule of the government government gov gov- I the more numerous are press embargoes The last cabinet l I ted all an mention In the peace of the rice riots which constituted the greatest great great- I est eat blot lot on the governments government's escutcheon eon but the downfall of th the cabinet on that Issue could not bp he prevented At Atthe Atthe the time when the present c cabinet was wasI formed it appeared that tha t the had hari a a. more moro pro proper er o of th the freedom freedom freedom free free- dom of speech but during the tre eighteen months it ha has continued In office many m mistakes t. t kJ have hae a been r J made q f and p press s i i I embargoes oes haye have greatly Increased of ot lat late rhe The embargoes which stood good goodat at the present moment number no less than thirty eight eight of ot which seventeen refer to Korean affa affairs rs and these fIgures figures figures fig fIg- ures do not f Include all the embargoes issued by the p police lIce and Judicial au- au ties thor in connection with a a. search or 01 examination of ot criminals they have all been een Issued by administrative offices of ot- fl s. s As to to to- Korean affairs almost everything is a tabooed and the J Japanese Japa Japa- pa i nese nes' are thus blindfolded as to the situation sit sit- I in J Korea orea It Is no wonder that Korean rule ruie should be growing worse The gre greatest test defect o of the existing press law is Ig that the authorities are empowered red to tat tal severe punitive measures under the abstract and elastic elastic elas las lastic tic phrase for lor the disturbance of peace and order This stipulation is du duto duto due to the autocratic spirit of the bureaucrats bureaucrats bureaucrats bureau bureau- and is Is' h irrefragably at v variance ri e with the spirit of constitutionalism which respects freedom of speech It ItIs ItIs Itis Is very dangerous that such a stipulation stipulation stipulation tion should be used and abused by bythe bythe I the government at its its' own own convenience It It may even be said that it is those authorities who endanger peace and order The home hom minister is nominally nom nom- In lly responsible for the control of speech but it Is petty police officials who do the actual task It is but natural natural natural natu natu- ral that such men en should should have no adequate adequate adequate ade ade- quate understanding of ot the spirit of the times tunes and it is astounding how In Inefficient inefficient In- In efficient Is the manner in which censorship censorship censorship cen cen- is exercised Very often even the officials officials' In charge themselves cannot cannot cannot can can- not define the scope of an embargo issued The fact that numerous press embargoes embargoes embargoes em em- have be been n- n issued r regarding Korean affairs Siberia and other diplomatic diplomatic diplomatic dip dip- quem questions s m-s is an Irrefutable evidence of th the of the government We must express our dissatisfaction with the present government government gov gov- not only for Its failure to amend the press law but for its abuse of the law to 10 cover its blunders I Asahi Asahl Tokio |