CO129-478 - Public Offices & Others - 1922 — Page 305

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memorandum as to the failure of the only previous

obtainable from wealthy benevolent Chinese.

Possibly also an appeal might be made for subscrip-

tions from the large number of humane persons in

this country who have interested themselves in this

subject. The remoter consequences might be more

serious. The practice of exposing infant girls at

birth would be encouraged, and there is also the

difficulty that the poor Chinese, even with the best

of wills, will be unable to afford sustenance for

their girl children, if they are not able to transfer

them to a household capable of feeding them,

and

moreover, if they are deprived of the presentation money

hitherto always obtainable for their girl children,

they will be unable to maintain the rest of their

family. But in practice no doubt the children will

be disposed of in the Kwangtung province from which

they almost all come, and the closing of the com-

paratively tiny market of Hong Kong will have no

appreciable effect from the humanitarian point of

view, when the whole of China is open to them and

attempt to put down "mui tsai" in Canton.

.)

We would suggest a telegram to Governor

as in draft herewith. It will be seen that a

local commission is being directed, to include

local advocates of reform. We fear it would be

useless to suggest a commission from home, 2,8

members would be unfamiliar with Chinese domestic

life and would be unable to advise on practical

methods of reform, at any rate without a very long

enquiry.

H.B.

21/2/22.

A.E.C.)

MC

him with 13

Kis morning (he). Eaikhe Mat, Kacheli

Jus

21.2.

is likely to remain so.

(See page 4 of Mr. Hallifax's

!

memorandum

d