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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Reference :-

C.O.882/11

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

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In the case of another doctor, Dr. Chen Su Lan, who gave evidence, he informed me that when he had said he was opposed to regulation they at once stopped asking him any questions at all.

known on what side our evidence would be.

I notice on pages 33 and 34 of the Report. Dr. Travers was asked to come from Kuala Lumpur in the Federated Malay States, that is in British Malaya outside the Straits Settlements, to give evidence. Dr. Conolly, who is the President of the Penang Branch of the National Society for the Prevention of Venereal Disease, was not asked to give evidence, in spite of his occupying that position, and in spite of the fact that he probably has a greater knowledge of the Chinese than any single European doctor in this Colony. Amongst those doctors who ten years ago in the Federated Malay States turned down the suggestion of bringing in what was practically the Contagious Diseases Ordinances again, is Dr. Tertius Unless Clark, who is still in British Malaya as Health Officer in Kedah. Dr. Galloway has reached the time of life when his memory is failing (and of course one's memory is apt to flag after many years of the East) I think he might have remembered the fact of Dr. Tertius Clark being on that Committee. page 20 that, when the witnesses were chosen, Dr. Galloway was in the Chair in It is perhaps unfortunate that it was passed the absence of Mr. Lee Warner.

I notice on

at the meeting that all evidence given before this Committee be considered strictly private and not be published. That was not the rule in the Royal Commisson on Venereal Disease in England, of which the full evidence was published, as I know from having bought it for myself. One can, however, suppose that there was the idea that the witnesses could speak more freely if their evidence was confidential. but the fact of it being confidential makes it impossible to criticize the Report fully, as one cannot say to what extent those who gave evidence have really studied the question and the history of dealing with this matter in other countries, and that is most important if a report of this kind is to have weight.

I might also mention that, whereas instances can be quoted of members of a Commission putting in a memorandum on any special point, it is unusual for members of a Commission to give evidence in person, the reason I presume being that there is a considerable difference in a written statement and in a personal giving of evidence. In this case two out of five members, who as I have mentioned were pronounced Regulationists before the Committee ever met, both gave evidence. I contend that the composition of the Committee was not such as to bring out the full facts of the case, and that their method of obtaining evidence was not in accordance with the high tradition of fairness which one expects in an important Committee appointed by the Government in a British Colony. There were other doctors who are opposed to the method of Regulation who were not asked to give evidence. I am perfectly willing to believe that it was by inadvertence, but the fact that the Medical profession as a whole was not circularized was, I feel, blame- worthy, and anyhow resulted in a system being put forward as being in accordance with the unanimous feeling of the witnesses (page 7, first paragraph), whereas doctors who were opposed to the system were never asked to give evidence.

(c) Then there is the unfortunate action which was taken in a Crown Colony I refer to Uganda. only a short time ago when similar legislation was introduced. A doctor who administered the system but resigned on account of what the system evidently involved, has told me that not only were married women forced to submit to medical inspection but that even girls who were in Convents and Mission Schools To me it seems that if you are were also subjected to this compulsory inspection.

to deal by this method with what is technically known as the "amateur," that is a person who is not a prostitute but yet sells herself for vice occasionally, you may It is one of the objections have to descend to methods such as were tried in Uganda.

as pointed out by Professor Blaschko and Professor Gaucher, at the Medical Congress of 1913, that the lower Police officials who administer the system make it a means of oppression and extortion. I would call your attention to the fact that the Hon. Mr. P. K. Nambyar in the letter which I quote on page 12, says, "if the system recommended is introduced I am afraid it will not have much beneficial effect. It may be a handle for the subordinate officers of the Department During the last to blackmail and harrass the unfortunate and other women.' week the Straits Times has had correspondence and at least one article on the corruption and bribery which is supposed to exist in the lower grades of Govern- I think it does not ment service here, either amongst the police or other branches. teed much imagination to understand how much could be extorted from decent

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women if such a system as suggested was introduced, and if it was possible, as has certainly been the case in other countries, of accusing women of immorality with a threat that if they do not pay they will be prosecuted or be forcibly subjected to medical examination.

I have no intention of telling any single Asiatic what I know of Uganda, but you must be aware that throughout the whole world there are a considerable number of people who hate the domination of the white races and who wish to stir up considérable trouble in Africa and Asia wherever there is a white Government. Supposing such a system was introduced and such persons spread the information here as to what actually happened in Uganda, there would be such a feeling, particu- larly among the Asiatics, that from my 24 years' experience of the East, I would say that it would necessitate the Garrison being doubled or even trebled to keep the peace.

These three points which I have mentioned-the composition of the Committee which did not allow both sides of the question to be brought out-the unfairness of the method adopted by them--and what actually has happened in a Crown Colony where the system has been quite recently attempted, are points which I cannot dilate on in any public meeting, though I did mention the second one somewhat hriefly, because this I feel was extraordinarily bad for the prestige of our Govern- ment in this part of the world, and I personally believe our Government is good and that it has considerable difficulties.

There are other points which there was not time to go into in my lecture and which should be considered :-

It is sometimes said that the (1) The growth of the population. Contagious Diseases Ordinances was effective here before it was taken off a quarter of a century ago, and I have seen the statement, though I have not been able to test it, that the Legislative Council at that time was But the population of unanimously against abolishing the Ordinances. Singapore now is three times what it was in 1881; that is the census taken next before the abolition of the Contagious Diseases Ordinances. Not only so, but women have increased very largely and even in the ten years between the last two takings of the census, 1911 and 1921, Chinese women in the Straits Settlements increased by 70 per cent., from 96,000 to 162,000, whereas the men only increased by under 20 per cent, from 272.000 to 338,000. There- fore the condition with which you are dealing is very different from what it was a quarter of a century ago.

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(2) I would like to lay great stress on the bad results of having big brothel areas in the central positions of the town. I am enclosing a map of Singapore in which I have marked the brothel areas red, the big schools You will see that the brothel areas blue, and the main tramway

green. open on to the road which is served by the tram, which is the main road of the whole town. You will also notice that they are both close to school areas. I would draw your attention to a letter which I quote on page 12 of my lecture, written by the Rev. W. Horley, who has probably started more schools in this peninsula than any other living man. No words of mine can describe the effect of putting brothel areas in important parts of the town (better) than those which he uses. I may say that the lady who in 1912 restarted the Young Women's Christian Association here, told me that after two years she felt her work would be useless until the best known brothel areas were abolished. She said their existence corrupted the whole tone and feelings of the girls who were brought up here, as the existence of the system was so well known. I have had complaints from Chinese and Indians that the tone in these matters is very much lower here than it is in either India or China, and not only have Indians and Chinese told me this but also those who have worked as Missionaries in those countries. The Venereal Diseases Committee reports that there is a large amount of venereal disease What else could be among Eurasians and among Straits-born Chinese. expected when these people grow up here affected by the appalling influence of knowing that certain central blocks of the town are given up to unrebuked vice, it being at any rate a reasonable supposition from the position of these areas that as long as well-to-do people are not offended by having prostitutes near them. vice could he rampant. And even now in this Venereal Diseases Report it is only the physical effect and not the moral state of things which is considered.