L
COPY.
356
CONFIDENTIAL.
(For the Colonial office only).
HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL REPORT
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR COMBATING VENEREAL DISEASES COMMISSIONERS.
Mrg. C, Neville-Rolfe, O.B.E.
Dr. R. Hallem.
Transmitted to the Colonial Office by the
National Council.
April 1921.
We had been advised before our departure from England that the Governor of Hong Kong would not welcome a visit from the Commission and that he was specially dubious of the advisability of a woman speaking on the subject of Venereal Disease in the Colony.
No preparations had been made for the programme
of the Commissioners to be carried into effect. One of the members of the civil medical staff, Dr. Valentine, was instructed to act as local secretary in his spare time. An office was put at the disposal of the Commission in the Government Civil Hospital some distance from the centre of the town. Dr. Valentine undertook none of the duties of a local secretary except to accompany the Medical Commissioner on a few occasions to visit Hospitals. The whole of the work of organisation fell upon the Commissioners themselves.
The Governor, Sir Reginald E, Stubbs, get us the day after our arrival and told us frankly that were not welcome; that the Government did not want us and the The local Medical medical faculty did not want us. Association had sent to him resolutions expressing their objections.
At first any assistance was declined, but in the end His Excellency agreed to convene a small private conference to which we asked him to invite the representa- tives of the Army, Navy, Chamber of Commerce, the Govern– ment Departments, the Roman Catholic and English Bishops, Seamen's organisations, Women'e organisations, etc.
The Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sir A. Duff advocated active endeavours to reduce the high incidence of Venereal