CO129-522-3 Social hygiene- including trafficking in women & children- brothels- etc. 27-2-1930 - 13-4-1931 — Page 60

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5.

I make the following comments on Mrs. Neville

Rolfe's letter a copy of which accompanied Your Lordship's

despatch. She states that "General protective and preventive

measures relative to traffic in women, prostitution and the

spread of Venereal Disease cannot be compared in efficiency

with those adopted in Singapore or Colombo": that "measures are taken by the Immigration Department both in Singapore and

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Colombo that have materially reduced the traffic in women

and the advent of Chinese women from outside the Colony to

swell the brothel inmates and the numbers of clandestine

prostitutes": and that "the measures in operation in Singapore to check the incoming of single women or others suspected of being prostitutes have not been taken in Hong Kong". I have pointed out in the preceding paragraph that the position in Hong Kong is entirely different from that in Singapore and it is on that account that I see the greater danger to Hong Kong in the abandonment of a system of control. At present every intending prostitute undergoes a very rigorous examination by a responsible Chinese-speak ing officer of the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs who explains

to her by word of mouth and in writing her complete freedom

of action. With the abolition of the regulated brothel it

will be more difficult to keep in touch with intending prostitutes and consequently to deal with the traffic in

women and children.

6.

Mrs. Rolfe states that "the provision of ample facilities for treatment of Venereal Disease in Singapore has after 4 years provided conditions under which it has been found possible to close the tolerated houses"

•

I confess that I am at a loss to understand this statement.

If it means that with increased facilities for treatment

the

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