THE present work has been compiled from despatches received in reply to a communication from the Foreign Office to the heads of His Majesty's Missions abroad, requesting them to transmit the latest information available on legislation concerning the Press in the various countries to which they are accredited. The book owes its origin to Mr. Lewis S. Benjamin, formerly of the Foreign Office; it was at his suggestion that it was undertaken, and the editors are indebted to him for seeing it through its early stages.

While an endeavour has been made to make this collection fully up-to-date at the time of publication, the delay entailed in communicating with more distant parts, and the imminence of new legislation in certain countries, may render it impossible to give any guarantee that the book contains the text of all the relevant laws which have recently been promulgated. The editors are also unable to accept responsibility for the accuracy of the translations. Care has been taken, both by the editors and by translators abroad, to present satisfactory versions, but it is far from easy to render technical legal terms into intelligible English, and the inherent divergences between the systems of jurisprudence of different countries has made this part of the work more difficult than was anticipated.

It has been thought unnecessary to prepare English translations of those laws which are issued in French, a language which may reasonably be assumed to be familiar to nearly everybody who is likely to be interested in the contents of this volume. Finally, it should be explained that the present collection of laws is issued in the hope that it may be of general use to those who are engaged in work connected with the Press, rather than as a manual solely for the use of lawyers.

The Press Laws of Foreign Countries.

ABYSSINIA.

THERE is no legislation specially affecting the Press.

ARGENTINA.

ARTICLE 14 of the Constitution provides that any inhabitant may publish his ideas in the Press without previous censorship. There is no special legislation affecting this right, and the only restrictions upon it are those contained in the Penal Code and other enactments of a more general nature: e.g., Articles 177 and 178 of the Penal Code and Article 21 of the Penal Code Amendment Act, dealing with defamation, and Articles 12, 19 to 24, and 26 to 28 of the Law of "Social Defence" (No. 7029), dealing with various other offences.

AUSTRIA.

FEDERAL LAW OF APRIL 7, 1922, REGARDING THE PRESS.

SECTION I.-General Provisions.

Article 1.

THE freedom of the Press is guaranteed. It is subject only to the limitations prescribed by the present law.

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Article 2.

1. The term printed matter" within the meaning of the present law includes all writings, pictures and music reproduced by mechanical or chemical means for the purpose of circulation.

2. A newspaper (periodical) within the meaning of the present law is printed matter, the contents of which are not limited beforehand, which appears under the same title in successive issues (parts, copies), even though at irregular periods, and the separate numbers of which are connected by their contents, even though each one may be complete in itself.

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Article 3.

Circulation," within the meaning of the present law, is the sale, the retailing, or the distribution of printed matter, its display, placarding, or exhibiting, and any other action which renders it accessible to an extended number of persons.

Article 4.

1. The "Printer," within the meaning of the present law, is the
owner of the printing office. If the undertaking is directed by a
manager, or is leased, the manager or lessee becomes responsible
under the present law. Nevertheless, the owner of the printing
office and the convicted person are jointly and severally rsponsible
for the payment of fines imposed on the manager or lessee, and for
the cost of the legal proceedings.

2. The obligations and responsibilities of the printer also apply
to any person who produces printed matter, but who is not a printer
by trade.

3. These provisions apply also to the publisher.

Article 5.

1. If several fines are incurred under the provisions of the
present law, each one is to be separately imposed.

The same applies to imprisonment in default of payment of fines;
the total duration of such imprisonment shall not exceed one year.

2. The publisher, the owner (newspaper proprietor), and the
convicted person are jointly and severally responsible for fines
which may be imposed for infringements of the regulations or for
punishable offences arising out of the contents of a newspaper, and
for the cost of the legal proceedings. The owner (newspaper
proprietor) is also responsible for fines imposed on the publisher.

SECTION II.-Trading Rights and Similar Provisions.

Article 6.

1. No special permission (concession) is required for the
carrying on of a business, the object of which is to produce, sell, or
lend printed matter.

2. The registration of a business not limited to specified goods
or classes of goods does not confer the right to trade in printed
matter.

3. With this reservation, the provisions of the Trading Regula-
tions apply to the printing trade, except as may be otherwise
provided in the following articles.

Article 7.

Every person who is entitled to the unrestricted management of
his property, may sell newspapers and printed matter of his own
production in the place chosen by himself. He must duly inform
the local organs of public security (federal police officials, political
authorities of the first instance) of the place so chosen.

Article 8.

1. Persons who, under the Trading Regulations, are entitled to
trade in printed matter, are also entitled to solicit orders for printed

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matter. The managements of inland newspapers also have this
right.

2. The provisions of paragraph 59в of the Trading Regulations
apply to persons engaged in soliciting orders.

Article 9.

1. Newspapers may be retailed in the streets, and also, in so
far as is not prohibited by the proper authorities, in other public
places; but they may not be retailed in buildings devoted to religious
services.

2. The price must be clearly indicated on all copies of news-
papers intended for street sale. The newspapers may only be called
out by their names.

Article 10.

1. Persons under 18 years of age may not retail or distribute
gratuitously printed matter in the streets or in other public places.
2. Printed matter may not be retailed from house to house.

Article 11.

No official permission is required to hang or affix printed matter
in a public place. But the authorities may (Article 7) decide
that the printed matter shall only be displayed in specified places.

Article 12.

1. On the application of an education authority or of an institu-
tion for the protection of young persons (jugendamt) the authorities
(Article 7), within their sphere of office, may prohibit the
circulation to persons under 18 years and may entirely prohibit the
retail by street sale or in newspaper shops, of specified printed matter
or printed matter of a specified kind, which, by exploiting youthful
impulses, may endanger the moral health of young persons. Such
exclusion from circulation or sale may not be ordered on political,
religious, or social grounds. Limitation of the circulation of printed
matter of a specified kind may only have effect for three months at
the most.

2. The authorities who have made such application and the
publisher or editor must be informed of the order issued. Each
person concerned has the right of appeal, but this cannot in any way
postpone the execution of the order. The order must be published
in the Official Gazette."

Article 13.

1. Any person infringing or participating in the infringement of
one of the regulations contained in Articles 7, 9, 10, 11 or 12.
shall be punished by the representatives of public security
(Article 7) with a fine of 1,000 to 20,000 crowns or up to fourteen
days' imprisonment.

2. In pronouncing sentence the Court may order the forfeiture
of the printed matter to which the proceedings relate. In cases