CO129-498-11 Assistance for Mrs. Longinotto- widow of a former Assistant Crown Solicitor in Hong Kong 3-3-1926 - 11-10-1926 — Page 26

it; and

her property; she having sold half her interest in

the investigating judge ordered the provisional arrest and

detention of Mrs. Longinot to. I was able to secure the

release of the lady after she had been in prison for about

a fortnight. She now writes to this Legation to say that

she is still being persecuted, and that unless she can get a

"corroboration of an English Court of Law" that she is the

proper guardian of her children, she will be "robbed of all

her possessions". I sent the Legal Adviser of this Legation

to see her while she was under arrest. In spite of the very

confused and hysterical letters which she has written to

this Legation during the last few months the Legal Adviser

considered her to be in a normal condition of mind,30 far as

he could judge. He thinks, however, that the authorities

in insisting on an intervention in her family affairs were

probably genuinely afraid lest the interests of her children

were suffering. This is also the opinion of the Ministry, who

stated in a Note of March 5th, that intervention was

necessary because secording to the looal Court

financial circumstances and questions of property of the

family were very confused and were the subject of litigation

while at the same time the mother appeared to be neglecting

the education of the children, and moreover, a lawsuit

against her was proceeding. I am inclined to think there may

be reason for the action of the judicial authorities, especial

ly as by Austrian law a woman has not the right to control

the property of minors.

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the

5. The point, however, on which I am anxious to be

advised is whether or no I should inform the Austrian

Government/