No F
401
Mr. Wilder, called upon me in March last to discuss this
question, and I attach a précis of the conversation which
I drew up immediately afterwards and which was sent to Mr.
Wilder at his request in the form of a letter from the
Colonial Secretary. In May last I received a further
letter on the subject from the Consul General with a non-
official enclosure of which I attach a copy.
į
4.
From these enclosures Your Lord-
ship will see that the subject is one which has for some
months past had my careful attention.
Such steps have
been taken as are possible to put an end to the existence
of houses of 111-fame where men may congregate and lose
money by gaming and in consequence of the illicit sale of
champagne at monstrous prices.
These steps appear to
have been fairly effective, and the evils I have described
have not of late been prominent.
More drastic measures
would no doubt defeat their own object by driving the women
into public hotels, etc.
5.
As regards the question of the
nationality of these women,- no doubt the majority are
American, the cause being as Sir P. Warren points out
primarily