893.4061 Motion Pictures/267
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 8.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith, as a matter of record, a copy of an aide-mémoire, dated February 26, 1940,64 left by a member of the staff of this Embassy with the Japanese Embassy in Peiping, in regard to the arbitrary and permanent mutilation of American films distributed by the Film Board of Trade (China).
It will be seen that, according to information received by the Film Board of Trade (China), Shanghai, the censors in Peiping have recently informed the local motion picture theatres that in future deletions made by the censors will not be returned. Such action would apparently destroy the value of the films for further distribution in China.
An informal investigation of the situation by a member of the staff of this Embassy has revealed that the censorship of films in Peiping, formerly the responsibility of the Executive Commission of the “Provisional Government”, is now performed jointly by the Municipal Police and the Japanese Gendarmerie Headquarters. Accordingly the matter was taken up orally with a member of the staff of the Japanese Embassy and the original of the enclosed aide-mémoire was left with this official. A third person note, similar in substance to the aide-mémoire, was left with the Municipal authorities of Peiping.
Respectfully yours,
Counselor of Embassy
- Not printed.↩