32
prostitute who has not received a
Government card, and the warning is
effective because the police can close
any house used as a brothel. Hence it would appear that
the simple expedient of issuing a card
to prostitutes has sufficed to reintroduce
registered prostitutes and tolerated brothels.
It is a further illustration of the truth of
the statement in the First Report of the
Advisory Committee on Social Hygiene (Cmd.
2501) that As experience of other countries
has shown, the only safe and logical alterna-
tive to registration is to declare brothels
illegal and to take steps to close them
whenever they come to the notice of the
authorities."
9. I desire therefore to impress you
that it is the declared policy of His Majesty's
bring about the Sufpression of
Government to suppress all brothels in Hong
Kong. I note from your despatch of 22nd
1930/
August that the immediate action you
/
to be pursued,
suggest, if that policy is insisted on,
is
(No.15m72755]