800.91225/3: Airgram
The Ambassador in Chile (Bowers) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 22—5 p.m.]
A–659. Reference your A–586 of March 3, 6:05 p.m. and A–710 of April 13, 4:00 p.m.48 Transocean and Stephani Mundial closed down after cancellation of their authorizations to disseminate news abroad or in Chile. The radio receiving equipment then in possession of these agencies was later removed from their premises and stored under Chilean Government seal.
As Domei was never registered locally as a news agency it was not affected by the Government’s action reported in my telegram No. 205 of January 20th [30th], 12 noon.49 Domei news broadcasts from Japan were copied by an employee of the Japanese Legation which mimeographed and distributed them by messenger and mail. This activity ceased with the closing of the Legation.
The authorization of the Chilean PACH (PL) news agency to disseminate news abroad or locally was cancelled upon instructions of the Minister of Interior by an administrative decree, dated March 3, issued by the Director General of Posts and Telegraphs. This was done on the grounds that PACH press despatches purporting to originate in the capitals of Europe and the Americas and published in the daily El Roto, a tabloid pro-Axis newspaper which made its appearance on February 13 of this year, were “contrary to the truth”. El Roto is edited by the Sociedad Prensa Chilena Camilo Henriquez Ltda. PCCH (PL) whose articles of partnership were protocolized on February 25. These listed Bobillier as a partner and managing director. About a month later there was organized the Sociedad Asociación Internacional de Prensa AIP (PL) controlled and managed by Bobillier.
At the end of March PACH’s radio receiving station was closed and sealed by order of the Minister of Interior who charged that it [Page 916] had been intercepting the foreign news despatches which were appearing in El Roto accredited to “AIP”, which abbreviation constitutes part of the style of Bobillier’s Sociedad Asociación Internacional de Prensa AIP but is claimed by the Asociación Internacional de Prensa, Uruguay, as its property.
This action and the cancelling of PACH’s authorization to disseminate news were countered by Bobillier who filed a bill of complaint with the Chilean Senate alleging that the Minister of Interior had acted illegally and unconstitutionally. On May 11 the Legislative and Judiciary Committee of the Senate ruled this was not the case.
When deprived of the use of PACH as a credit line for its news, El Roto accredited its press despatches to “AIP” until PACH’s radio receiving station was closed. It then adopted and continues to use “Intercepted PCCH” (Prensa Chilena Camilo Henriquez) as the credit line for its news which evidently is largely taken from the news bulletins regularly broadcasted by radio stations located in Axis controlled territories.
With the object of suppressing El Roto the Minister of Interior decreed on March 18 that newspapers and magazines could only publish foreign news furnished by news agencies registered with the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. This decree proved ineffective as apparently it has not been possible to implement it with penalties for non-compliance. The use of the credit line “AIP”, however, provided grounds for the authorities proceeding against the pro-Axis publication, and on April 15 Bobillier and El Roto were charged with violating the Printing, Internal and External laws by publishing false and contentious news and usurping “AIP” which abbreviation is claimed by the representative in Chile of the Asociacion Internacional de Prensa as its property.
It is stated that a decision in the Government’s case vs. Bobillier and El Roto probably will be handed down within another 15 days.50 It is also stated informally that should the decision be unfavorable to the Government, consideration will be immediately given to other means of suppressing El Roto which is the only daily newspaper in Chile at this time devoted to the publication of Axis news reports.