Film shows U.S.man's link to mao(2)

　　Lois wheeler snow said the film, made jointly by th ree chinese state studios, draws without permission on her husband's book and her own account of his final day s. In a letter to the filmmakers released last month, s he complained about the exploitation of snow's memory b y a regime that curtails china's own journalists.

　　"we strongly object to edgar snow's life story bein g used for propaganda purposes," wrote mrs. Snow, who t hreatened to sue if the movie was released.

　　Song, who works for the changchun film studio in th e northeastern province of jilin, has denied his movie violated copyrights. The lives of mao and snow are part of the public record and screenwriter li chao relied on interviews and historical works, song says.

　　Snow, who died in switzerland in 1972, has been pro claimed a "friend of china" for his sympathetic coverag e of the communist struggle.