CO885-11 — Page 286

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.882/11

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- | COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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4. Notwithstanding these precautions I think many young girls under the old age-limit were afraid to claim their freedom.

The age-limit, however, was raised to 20 ten years ago with the result that prostitutes coming here are almost invariably girls who have been for some years in brothels at Canton and have become so accustomed to the life that they do not wish to leave it. There is no question that owing to their age and experience they are more likely to accept the assistance of the Protectorate and give up a life of prostitution, if they so desire it.

Furthermore, the age-limit is about to be raised to twenty-one completed years. 5. These precautions do not mean that efforts to import girls under the age- limit are not made, but the Protectorate officers make use of their experience and repatriate with the assistance of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs. Hongkong, any girls claiming to be prostitutes of twenty or over, who appear to them to be under age. In 1922 nineteen, and in 1923 fifty-three such girls were repatriated.

6. I have no doubt that but for the Protectorate, yellow slavery would be rampant, but an average of one-third of the inmates of "known" brothels give up the life and take up a respectable livelihood every year with the assistance of the Protectorate or follow men, e.g., in the years 1921 to 1923 an average of 400 prosti- tutes left "known" brothels yearly to take up respectable work, and an average of 110 followed men yearly, leaving 1,481 "known" prostitutes at the end of the year 1923; these figures speak for themselves. It is, of course, quite possible that some of these women take up "sly" prostitution later on.

7. It is necessary to make it clear that the professional prostitutes coming from China, who join the "known" brothels, are all Cantonese, so that it is possible for the Secretary for Chinese Affairs, Hongkong, to examine them all before they leave for Singapore.

II.

5

pages 8. Paragraph (5) on page 14 of the Bishop's letter must be read with and 6 of the Committee's Report. The Committee: reports that not only is the Straits-born Chinese community so riddled with Venereal Disease that it is the exception for a Straits-born bride not to suffer from Venereal Disease contracted from her husband, but, that "among the poorer China-born Chinese who frequent brothels, that is to say, the ordinary Chinese males of the coolie or ricksha-puller class, it is obvious that contraction of Venereal Disease must be the rule far rather than the exception, because the inmates of the so-called "known" brothels, China- born Chinese women, are now practically one and all infected.

9. I am not prepared to accept the last part of the above statement; in view of the system of voluntary medical inspection in the "known" brothels, vide second paragraph on page 23 of the Report, and the experience of the Chinese Secretariat in Kuala Lumpur referred to in the paragraph on page 24, commencing "In my opinion, etc.," this statement appears to be too sweeping.

10. There is widespread disease among the Straits-born Chinese, and also much disease, apparently as great but in reality proportionately much less owing to their very large numbers, among the China-born Chinese; and most of this disease is due to the "sly" brothels; Straits-born Chinese as a rule do not frequent "known" brothels, where they are not welcome, and of course many China-born Chinese coolies, for the sake of cheapness, visit "short-time sly" prostitutes.

11. I do not believe that disease among the Straits-born Chinese is due to the existence of brothel areas close to one of the main roads of the town and near school areas (ride paragraph (2) on page 11 of the Bishop's letter).

12. These two areas, which, as pointed by Sir A. Young in paragraph 4 of his Confidential despatch dated 13th July, 1917, have grown up "for material reasons and without any official pressure," are not the only streets in which "known" brothels occur,

Furthermore, they are so quietly managed, and the brothels are so far from the main road that no one passing down the main road on foot or otherwise would suspect their existence unless he had been informed beforehand, and one proof of this is that the Bishop's Map is wrongly marked in red; for instance, in the area marked between Middle Road and Bugis Street on the north side there has not been a single "known" brothel for some years, and in the south side there is not ope "known" brothel in any of the streets marked in red except Sago Street, Smith Street and Trengganu Street.

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13. To anyone conversant with the life of the town the argument that the existence of the "known" brothel areas gives rise to a bad tone in the schools is not convincing; they may appear to be close to the schools on the map, but the different social grades and the different nationalities live so much to themselves and keep so much to their own narrow localities that the existence of Cantonese brothels confined to the China-born Chinese would make little or no impression among Eurasians, Straits-born Chinese, Indians and China-born Chinese boys resident elsewhere.

The evil influence which is exercised among schoolboys is almost entirely due to the "sly" brothels scattered all through the town even in the more quiet and respectable residential areas occupied by small Chinese traders, clerks, etc.; life is a much more public affair in Singapore than at home, and the doings of a house of this type is soon known to all the neighbours.

It is also in part due to the clandestine prostitutes, who frequent the public streets, open spaces and places of entertainment in search of customers.

It may surprise the Bishop to learn that one reason for the bad tone in certain girls' schools is that young singing girls and those who are being trained as such are sent to certain Mission schools to learn English as it enhances their value.

III.

14. I consider it necessary to make some comment upon the question of "blackmail," because the reference to it may give rise to misunderstanding.

15. So far as the "known" brothels are concerned blackmail is almost entirely restricted to extortion by hooligans and secret society bullies, who also extort from hawkers, stall-holders and small shop-keepers, but when this extortion exceeds what is considered fair the brothel-keepers have no hesitation in complaining and assist- ing the Protectorate to have the blackmailers punished in the Police Courts or banished, as the Protectorate records show.

16. The "sly" brothel-keeper and clandestine prostitute are in a different case; they may pay the police or detectives of their district for protection; they most certainly are driven to pay considerable sums to men calling themselves 'informers," although the Protectorate for some years has found it quite unnecessary to employ such men, owing to the readiness of householders to com- plain, if a "sly" brothel becomes a nuisance, and from society hooligans and brothel bullies. The "sly" prostitute as a rule looks upon the protection of the Chinese Protectorate as something desirable, and if the Government sanctioned such a course it would be possible in a short time to effect the voluntary registration and medical examination of at least 60 per cent of the "sly" prostitutes, but their numbers are so great that it would involve arrangements for settling them in certain areas deliberately selected, and this could only be done in the face of opposition from the Bishop and those whom he represents.

IV.

17. The Bishop refers to the success of compulsory notification and compulsory treatment in Sweden; reference to the article in the National Review for January, 1923, entitled "Sweden facing the Enemy," will show that by means of the universal system of identity cards there is in effect registration of prostitutes also; according to that article the results have been much greater than stated in page 15 of the Bishop's letter.

V.

18. I should like to know more about the alleged fiasco in Uganda; but in the meanwhile would point out that this Department has been dealing with the protec- tion of women and girls for many years, and owing to the tradition and experience behind it, is not so likely to act in an arbitrary manner as a department without such advantages.

7th April, 1924.

D. BEATTY, Secretary for Chinese Affairs.