CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924 — Page 167

A...

House of Commons,

5.W. 1.

159

Dear Mr. Thomas,

You are probably aware that considerable uneasiness has been aroused by reports of unsatisfactory conditions relat- ing to social hygieno in the ritish Crown Colonies, paricularly in Hong Kong and the Straits Settlements.

Feeling that it is not altogether desirable to taise technical matters of this kind by Parliamentary question in the House of Commons, we should much appreciate it if you would allow us to meet you as a small deputation, to lay before you proposals which, if adopted, would we think tend to allay

public uneasiness, and which might also be of assistance by

placing at your disposal the best non-official expert opinion.

The aspects of social hygiene to which we specially

refer are:- provision for maternity and infant welfare; the

position of the Hui tsai; facilities for the treatment of

tuberculosis; the system of tolerated brothels and vice areas;

the policy to ards venereal diseases and facilities for their

effective treatment.

Yours sincerely,

The Rt. Hon. J. H. Thomas, l.P.,

Secretary of Stato for

the Colonies,

Colonial Office,

Downing Street, S.W. 1.

J.Hope Amicon