HNN (Headline News Network, a division of CNN) aired a segment during the early morning hours (circa 0300 Pacific Standard Time) on Sunday, 22 Sep 1996 regarding the ''massacre'' of 10 Japanese ''policemen'' in Shanghai in 1937.

The impetus for this story was ostensibly the disclosure of about 30 photographs in the possession of a man whose (Swiss) father had taken them at the time, several of which were shown on the air. The narrative accompanying the photos by the HNN reporter clearly gave the impression that this was an ''unknown'' story of great evil on the part of participating Chinese citizens and deserved to be noted.

THIS IS SHAMEFUL!

At no time in the story was any mention made of innumerable atrocities committed by the invading Japanese in Shanghai or elsewhere during the 1930s.

As a matter of record, the world's first instance of indiscriminate mass bombings of innocent civilian populations was committed by Japanese aircraft on the residents of Shanghai in 1937. Had I been a Chinese resident of the city at the time, I would have willingly participated in the ostensible ''torture'' of the Japanese invaders.

How dare HNN (CNN) deliver such one-sided material in light of the fact that the Japanese, themselves, continue to this date to refuse to teach their own children about their country's activities during the 1930s and subsequently?!

I am sending this notice to CNN's on-line e-mail.

I am ALSO sending it to a wide audience of potentially interested readers (where, I trust, it will be forwarded to an even wider audience, since I am a member of multiple usenets, SIGs and other organizations), and am posting it to my several web si.com, [email protected], [email protected], or visit my prime web site at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/edperry. Those interested in eyewitness accounts of Japan's activities in China during the 1930s should visit my web site at /homesteadhomestead/tokyo/5814.

Don't let this matter rest! You can provide feedback to the CNN organization at http://cnn.com/feedback/index.html (via form or e-mail).

Ed Perry
Menlo Park, California

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