327
Watchmen Committee the possibility of obtaining active and
organised co-operation from the Street Committees in the
detection of bad characters. Such co-operation is obvious-
-ly difficult to secure. In the first place most Chinese
have their family, their relations and some property in
China, and might easily suffer there for any activity
shewn here in combating crime. In the second, co-operation
with the Police is not a Chinese habit. The habit must be
changed and protection felt to be assured.
"The timidity of the small shop-
-keeping class in such matters is notorious all the world
over. Although it is right to complain of the want of
co-operation of the Chinese and to insist on it as an
essential to preserving peace and good order, it must be
remembered that the Police in England make the same COM-
-plaint, and I remember in particular one instance where
the Police were seriously hampered at Richmond in suppress-
-ing a gang of men who terrorized the shop-people. Then
the Police in England are a very different class of men to
the Chinese Police, the detective department especially so,
In China, the Police are very closely allied to the crimin-
-al classes. To stop the practice of abandoning bodies was
another and a simpler matter. The practice was opposed to
Chinese
Page 330Page 331