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Slavery.
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[ LORDS ]
Slavery. years imprisonment to a person charged with ill-treating a slave.
so many of these countries, as in the case of Abyssinia and Arabia, custom and re- ligion permit of slavery as being a proper system. Not only that, but we know there is a regular status of slaves in Arabia. It is recognised that women should be simply kept for that purpose, and when a woman has reached a cer- tain time of life she is cast adrift. As Mr. Rutter described in some of his writings, she becomes a beggar and a miserable object when her process of child bearing has been taken from her. I think the noble Earl, Lord Buxton, referred to China as having issued
regulations against slavery. On the other hand, I understand that no documents have ever been presented to the League by the Chinese representa- tives, although they have been very faith- ful and loyal attendants at the meetings. I understand also that when the Anti- Slavery Society protested to the Chinese Ambassador in this country two or three years ago that China had never pre- sented any documents on the subject or let the rest of the world know what was going on in China, they received no reply whatsoever from him.
Although it seems very terrible that such a condition of affairs should exist in the world at the present time, there are many features of a satisfactory nature. First of all, Mr. Rutter, in narrating his many experiences in Arabia, speaks of the influence of the Koran. We are told that Mahomet re- commended slavery. Mr. Rutter agrees, but points out that the Koran also states and reiterates that the most acceptable act in the sight of God is the liberation of slaves. That is a feature which ought not to be lost sight of. Mr. Rutter also says that if slavery was practised in accordance with the dictates of the Koran the abolition of slavery would soon be brought about. That is a distinctly satis- factory feature having regard to what has been said this afternoon about the condition of slaves in Arabia. That condition has been described forcibly by that great traveller, Mr. Bertram Thomas, but he mentions in one of his writings that another feeling is beginning to permeate that country re- garding slavery. Even in China it is satisfactory to note that a Chinese magistrate 18 reported as having regretted that he could only give two
Lord Lamington.
very
a
A good deal has been said this after- noon about Ras Tafari and his desire to abolish slavery in his dominions. I think the noble Earl mentioned as curious feature the fact that the price of slaves
in going up
those dominions. That may mean, of course, that there is more difficulty in getting slaves, and if that is so it may be re- garded with satisfaction. Mr. Spender'
!
was
has described the wonderful change that has come over the Sudan and Khorassan, a vast area about the size of Europe, through the extinction of slave raiding and the giving of peaceful occupations to the people. It must be remembered, however, that to get rid of slavery as it exists at present is a very complicated matter. I cannot see any other means of doing it than through the League of Nations, as has been indicated this afternoon by every speaker. The noble Viscount, Lord Cecil, said just now that the League of Nations itself could not take any action; that all it could do was to create and inform public opinion.
VISCOUNT CECIL OF CHELWOOD: Not the League of Nations the Secre- tariat.
LORD LAMINGTON: The Secretariat. It is true that all that can be done is to arouse public opinion in Europe as to the necessity of ventilating the question in those countries where slavery con- tinues to exist. The only disheartening feature is that there should be any delay in agreeing to the setting up of such a bureau, seeing that Geneva is so central for the purpose. I understand that the Mandate's Commission has been a dis- tinet success and that seems to be an example that should be followed. With that example before the nations it would be very unfortunate if there were any delay in establishing
a permanent slavery bureau. It is satisfactory that all Parties in your Lordships' House, and that everybody in this country are agreed that whoever represents us at Geneva should do his very best to secure the setting up of a bureau of the character suggested so that there may be continuity, that information may be ob tained, and that anybody interested in the question may have facilities and be
¿
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Slavery.
[ 22 JULY 1931 ] able to discover what has been done not only by the bureau but in every country where slavery is practised.
It is very much to be desired in creating public opinion that the Press of this and every other country should seriously devote attention to the sub- ject. It is very satisfactory in this con- nection that so many Frenchmen have taken the matter up. The incident bout the dhow owner quoted by the noble Earl was based, I think on a re- port written by a French writer, and Le Matin, I understand, published twenty articles dealing with this question. Therefore, if the attention of the world is drawn to the desirability not of taking action, but of making those countries in which slavery exists ashamed of a practice which differentiates them from the rest of the world, something will be done to make those countries desire to put themselves On a higher plane of civilisation.
LORD NOEL-BUXTON: My Lords, I desire to support the Motion before your Lordships' House by way of evidence which lately came to my notice regard- ing Africa. Africa furnishes the largest contingent towards the shocking total of five millions of slaves which, on the very judicial authority of and carefully compiled by the Anti-Slavery Society, must be taken as a figure within the mark. Africa has the most melancholy chapter in the whole history of slavery. It is thought that the population of Africa has been reduced by slavery alone by 100,000,000. The whole of Africa has a population of only 120,000,000— extraordinarily small for that vast area. That is due to slavery and the slave trade in the past.
now
I want to contribute some facts which came to my notice last month when I attended an International Conference at Geneva on Juvenile Welfare in Africa. Many facts came to light at that con- ference in regard to slavery and forced labour, although it was a conference not called ostensibly to discuss those sub- jects. It was a conference rather unique in importance, because it included repre- sentatives of Governments, officials from all parts of Africa, scientists, doctors, and missionaries representing both the Roman and other Churches, and it had collected during two years with very
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Slavery. great labour the answers to question- naires which had been furnished by some 350 resident experts in all parts of Africa. As it was not aimed at revealing slavery, the evidence which came to hand was all the more weighty, being incidental. Constantly in the reports which have been compiled, there were references to direct slavery or analogous conditions; and what they showed was the many- sidedness
complication of the question.
and
It seems to me greatly to reinforce the argument for a bureau and for an expert department
at
Geneva. Both in autonomous Africa and in Colonial Africa, European ruled, evidence came to hand. I need not labour what has been said to-day in regard to Abyssinia and Liberia. They are notorious fields of crude slavery. They illustrate slavery also in the wider field of semi-slavery. We have, for instance, in the Report on West Africa, referring to Liberia, this sentence:
"Among certain backward tribes, parents sell their children, who become slaves or concubines. Children are also handed over to a creditor as guarantee for an unpaid debt, finally becoming his slaves or the serfs of his family for generations."
Such practices count as slavery under the Convention.
It is true they are not exactly defined in the text, but the Committee on the Convention said, through its rapporteur, who was the noble Viscount, Lord Cecil:
"The Convention applies not only to domestic slavery but to all those conditions mentioned by the Temporary Slavery Com- mission
i.e., debt slavery, the en- slaving of persons disguised as the adoption of children, and the acquisition of girls by purchase disguised as payment of dowry."
It seems to me that facts of this kind greatly reinforce what has been said to-day.
on
A still more difficult question arises in regard to forced labour. There was very much evidence at this conference forced labour of different kinds. The statements illustrated the difficulty of discriminating between the forced labour which is slavery within the meaning of the Convention and forced labour which is not slavery because it is work done for Governments. We had, for instance, in the report on Central Africa, words to this effect:
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