CO129-463 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1920 [10-12] — Page 385

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European views which have brought the question into prominence. Customs repugnant perhaps to Western ideas are here universally accepted, and are indeed inseparable from the conditions of life in China. This point has been made clear in my confidential despatch of the 10th July, 1920: and in any attempt at the gradual reform referred to in paragraph 3 of your despatch this necessary limitation must be recognised. Protection against actual ill-treatment is always readily given, and much charitable work is always being done to alleviate sufferings due to poverty: but the customs on which the European criticians are largely based, are a necessary result of the conditions existing in Chine and are perhaps the best possible solution of difficulties caused by those conditions. The educational reform must therefore as yet proceed along the lines of dealing with deviations from the principle and abuses of the custom: the unavoidable "sale" of mui-tsai must not be allowed to degenerate into sale for prostitution, nor must active ill- treatment be added to the other sufferings due to poverty.

6.

Along these lines the Committee and the ex-members always active: witness the constant amendments to

strengthen the Women and Girls Protection Ordinance latest being passed as recently as last month largely due to the initiative of one or other of the offi-

cial Chinese Committees. The general condition of the

Colony in these matters (though no doubt still far short of

European ideals) is compared very favourably by the Chinese

themselves with the conditions obtaining in Kwongtung.

7.

are

-

the

which are

As evidence that the Chinese Community is

alive to the position and to the necessity for making an effort to improve it, and is alive also to the fact that any reform attempted must be fundamental and gradual, I would draw Your Lordship's attention to the fact that it now provides 40 schools (beyond the Government schools)

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