73
3.
4.
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influence over her, is most susceptible to the
innuendoes of kidnappers, moral corruptors and
bolshevic propagandists.
In the first case the girl is probably lured
into the belief that she is married. But as a
matter of fact her position will probably be that
she is merely co-habiting with a man who will
probably get tired of her in a few months' time
and leave her in the lurch or worse still take
her back into China and sell her for prostitution.
If she does escape being sold probably she would
find her position so desperate that suicide will
be her ultimate end. Cases of suicide and
attempted suicide have become frequent of late
in Hong Kong.
Co-habitation will in all cases take the place of
a proper marriage in the case of these girls.
With regard to the present regulations for
registration the intention is to keep the best part of the
muitsai system and to do away with its abuses. It is a
noble attempt; but unfortunately the law has already
prohibited the keeping of a muitsai.
destroys the muitsai system as well.
This prohibition
It is impossible
to maintain the muitsai system without a muitsai.
The objections of the Chincse to the present
regulations for registration are as follows:-
On the Muitsai' part
(1) When once registered as a Muitsai she will always
be a muitsai. Evidence is thereby perpetuated
if a record is kept in the Hong Kong Government
archives against her for life that she was a
muitsai. That evidence will remain even if she
became the mother of the future President of China, The late Yuan Shih-k'ai was a son of a concubine
who