CO129-472 - Others - 1921 — Page 447

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444.

CONFIDENTIAL

SINGAPORE

Conditions (contd.)

The brothels are in the moat frequented part of the town. Their inmates are displayed in highly illuminated interiors to the passers by. The girls (about 500) are all Chinese, and the patrons are also, in the majority of cases, Chinese, Europeans not being admitted owing to the strength of Chinese opinion. In those cases where Europeans have entered, the brothels have been raided by the Chinese population, and the women ill-treated for having received them. There are certain brothels, I understand, in the poorer parts of the town which we were unable to see, that are used by the Malaye. Native women do not leave their houses or solicit. There are a number of Siamese and Japanese living with Eurasians andin aly brothels.

There is no medical examination of these girls except such as is privately arranged for by the keepers of the houses with local medical practitionera. We had evidence that certificates of freedom from infection were given by medical practitioners to the inmates of the houses, and also to Eurasian and other girls carrying on a clandes- tine trade.

The Protector of the Chinese, as in Hong Kong, sees each immigrant into the Colony at his office, and if he has reason to believe that she is below the age or is not already a prostitute, he can prevent her entering the brothel; otherwise he registers her, provides her with a card that at any time she wishes to leave she has only to send him, and he will see that she is taken from the brothel and put under the protection of the Colonial Government. Such protection is extended to girls under age, or ill-treated, or abandoned, through the medium of a Chinese charitable institution – the Po Leung Kuk. This institution is under the management of a Chinese Committee, and is maintained partially by Government contributions, but mainly by Chinese. A local Ordinance exiata giving powers of detention to the Institution; the Chairman of the Committee being the Colonial Civil Servant, the Frotector of the Chinese. I saw this Institution, and was much struck with the difference between its excellent and efficient management and the condition of the Po Leung Kuk at Hong Kong. The conditions as to Government control are, aa far as I can ascertain, identical. One Institution is conducted aa an uneducative preson, the other on the best modern school lines. The girls all looked healthy and happy; were being properly taught English, Malay, Arithmetic and simple lessons, in addition to cooking, housework and dressmaking. The Matron was a trained Eurasian woman, and the attendants had all been experienced ayahs in English families. There were large grounds surrounding the buildings. Apparently also better supervision was maintained over the marriage arrangementa of the girls on their departure, although as in Hong Kong rather an undesirably large proportion of the girls were taken as wives by members of the Chinese Committee or their relatives. The Singapore Committee seem to inalet far more frequently that the girls should become first wives, and not second or third wives; this, of course, makes a vast difference as the first wife is permanently maintained by her husband, the second or third wife being

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