811.5034 (China) Eastern Publishing Co./29

The Consul General at Shanghai ( Gauss ) to the Secretary of State

No. 956

Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s instruction of July 12, 1937, regarding the Voice of China published by the Eastern Publishing Company owned by Mr. Max Granich.

There is enclosed herewith in this connection a copy of a letter dated September 6, 1937, together with a copy of the enclosure thereto,35 addressed to this Consulate General by the French Consul General at Shanghai, regarding a request made by the Police of the French Concession at Shanghai, to have the Post Mercury Company, Federal Inc., U. S. A., of Shanghai, an American firm located in the French Concession here, cease acting as the printer of the Voice of China. The Department will note from the previous correspondence on the subject that the sale of the Voice of China in the French Concession at Shanghai has been banned for over a year.

Mr. Granich called at the Consulate General today and stated that he had received a letter from the Post Mercury Company, Federal Inc., U. S. A., informing him of the request made of the American firm by the French police. He stated further that he had called upon the French police to inquire as to the reason for the banning of the publishing of his magazine in the Concession but that the police refused to give any reason therefor or discuss the matter at length with him. Mr. Granich stated further that he would seek a new printer in the International Settlement or in the Nantao area of the Chinese Municipality of Greater Shanghai to print future editions of his publication.

Shortly after the September 1, 1937, issue of the Voice of China had come from off the press, a member of the Special Branch of the Shanghai Municipal Police force called at the Consulate General and stated that 3,000 copies of the magazine had been transported from the French Concession to 749 Bubbling Well Road in the International Settlement, and requested the approval of the Consulate General for the Settlement police to seize all 3,000 copies. The Consulate General refused to sanction the seizure of the magazine and requested the police to refrain from the confiscation of American owned property. Mr. Granich is not aware of the above.

On September 6, 1937, Mr. Granich called at the Consulate General and stated that about ten or twelve copies of the September 1, 1937, issue of the Voice of China, has been confiscated from a Chinese news vendor selling the magazine on the streets of the International Settlement. [Page 692] It was stated to Mr. Granich that the Consulate General would when apprised of the facts in the case request the return of any American owned property seized by the police. There is accordingly enclosed herewith a copy of a self-explanatory letter dated September 7, 1937, together with a copy of the enclosure thereto,36 addressed to the Consulate General by Mr. Granich requesting the assistance of the Consulate General in obtaining the return of the magazines seized. On September 8, 1937, the Consulate General addressed an appropriate letter to the Acting Commissioner of Police of the Settlement requesting the return of the confiscated American owned property in question. Thus far the Consulate General has received no reply to its request. The magazine in question retails at ten cents Chinese currency per copy, and the value of the property seized in this instance amounts to approximately thirty cents United States currency.

Respectfully yours,

C. E. Gauss
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