第三種聲音──《自由人》三日刊始末

The Third Voice: The story of“Free peoples Bi-Weekly''

1949年，是中國現代史上驚天動地的一年，隨著戡亂局勢的逆轉，中共取得大陸政權，國民政府則敗退台灣，在此動盪時代，有一部分人士選擇避難香港，這其中有不少是知識份子。基本上，當年選擇來港的知識份子，其心態上是對國、共兩黨均感不滿；再則看上香港為自由民主之地，較能有揮灑發展的空間。於是這些從大陸流亡到港、九的知識份子群，乃時常舉行座談會，交換對國事意見，而美國斯時亦在香港鼓勵中國人組織「第三勢力」運動，目的以反共為主。於此背景下，港、九地區的自由民主人士，在美國撐持下，各種以反共為職志的刊物，乃應運而興。《自由人》三日刊，亦即在此大時代氛圍下孕育而生。本文之作，重點在於探討當年《自由人》三日刊創辦之經緯，及發行八年餘之艱辛過程。從經費短絀、稿源不濟、言論尺度以及同仁間的辛苦經營等面向立論，來述及這份於五○年代在香港最具代表性的刊物。

1949 was a year of political chaos and turbulence in Chinese history. The extended civil war between the Nationalists and the Communists was finally ended. The Communists occupied the entire Chinese mainland, while the Nationalists quickly evacuated to Taiwan. During this desperate era, certain politicians and intellectuals were unsatisfied with both parties. With the support of United States, they gathered in Hong Kong and declared their organization the“Third Force Movement.”They were against both Nationalists and Communist Parties. They chose to come to Hong Kong, because they thought Hong Kong was a free and democratic area, which was more likely to provide space for development. So, those intellectuals who left the Chinese mainland and went to Hong Kong and Kowloon formed an exiled group and often held forums to exchange views on national affairs, with the United States encouraging Chinese people to organize the“Third Force”anti-communist movement. With this background, the Liberal Democrats of Hong Kong and Kowloon, with the United States support, began printing various anti- Communist publications in Hong Kong and Kowloon. The“Free Peoples Bi-Weekly”also began publication in this era. This paper mainly discusses the story of the“Free Peoples Bi-Weekly,”which was the most representative publication in Hong Kong in the 1950s.