893.4061 Motion Pictures/203: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State

562. Nanking’s 329, November 18, noon. The following telegram has been sent to Nanking:

“November 19, noon. Your 329, November 18, noon. Unless you receive different instructions from the Department within the indicated period of time, you should make strong representations to the Foreign Office against the action of the Motion Pictures Censorship Committee, which the Embassy considers to be arbitrary and unwarranted. I believe that you should not concede to the committee in this event any other authority than to deal with American motion pictures as they are to be shown in China, and you should contend that in equity the committee should limit itself to taking action in regard to the particular film in question. You may convey to the Foreign Office my belief that the adherence of the committee to the extreme position it has taken would have an unfavorable reaction in the publicity it would receive in the United States.”

Johnson