( 101 )
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out of ten cases what the ordinary European calls kidnapping is not that at all. I will tell you how most cases of so-called kidnapping arise. Suppose there is in the country a Chinaman who has as fifth or sixth wife quite a young girl. In course of time she is neglected by her husband, illtreated perhaps by her mother-in-law or the principal wife. She finds her life is a misery and a failure, and she has no relatives to protect her. What will she do? She will see another man with whom she becomes acquainted and she says to him "Will you go and sell me?" Now that sounds in European ears something very queer and illegal, but every woman in China must be owned by someone so this woman says to this man "Will you try to get me another master
will you sell me?" He replies "Come with me to Hongkong, I will try to do something for you; I will try to sell you.' She goes to Hongkong with him. She is first questioned, say by the Registrar General. She will say to him "I have been kidnapped, I have been carried away by force." She wishes to appear as a respectable girl and she does not wish a European to think anything wrong of her, and, therefore, she says she has been carried off. But in reality she wishes to change her miserable life for some unknown lot which might be better, and which in Hongkong perhaps would be better. Hongkong Police Constable what does he know about this class, how can he judge? The question whether it is actual kidnapping according to English law is a very fine one. I think a Committee of Chinese merchants are far more able to deal, through their detectives, with such a case than any Government Officer can do.
17
A.
Q: Do you know how such work is carried on in Singapore? Is it done by the Pó Léung Kuk at all ?
A.-I know nothing about Singapore.
Q-In your memorandum you say that since the establishment of the Pó Leung Kuk this kidnapping has become comparatively rare.
Have not the Police done any thing to help this condition of things?
A.-I dare say the Police have co-operated. The Pó Léung Kuk was only intended to co-operate with the Government, that is to say, with the Police.
Q.-Would not an advisory Board of Chinese, which would consist of similar Chinese to those in the Pó Léung Kuk, co-operating with the Police, be able to do as good work?
A.-The Chinese will give no advice to people unless it is to their particular interest to do so, or unless they have a position of trust and power which encourages them. Why should the Hongkong merchants, if the Police undertake the responsibility and have all the power, go out of their way in this matter? If you trust them and give them power they will do it.
Q.-Do what?
A.-Prevent kidnapping and detect kidnapping. It is their own interest to do so. The original Pó Léung Kuk arose simply out of this. Kidnapping had reached a very high rate, kidnapping cases were extraordinarily frequent and it was the saying among Chinese merchants in Hongkong "It is all the Tung Kun people." Their merchants. were blamed for the kidnapping, and so these merchants held a meeting, and one of them proposed to start a society, first to clear the merchants of the imputations cast upon them, and, secondly, to defend the whole Chinese community against this tremendous increase in kidnapping, which arose when the kidnappers formerly employed in the Macao coolie trade were thrown out of employment. To me it seems that this kidnapping is so peculiarly a Chinese crime and so rooted, so woven into the Chinese organisation and Chinese family life, and also connected with the practice of adoption, that I think in this matter, if the Government wish to do any good, they must do it through the Chinese, not merely through the Chinese advising them. They would not do that. The Chinese do not advise the Governor how to govern the Colony.