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Editorial Offices, Arcol Orchards, Sidmouth, England.
WHAT WE THINK.
WOMEN TRAFFIC IN AND CHILDREN IN THE EAST
The Commission of Enquiry into Traffic in Women and Children in the East has now issued its Report to the League of 4 dollars. or Nations. The price is 16 British people can obtain copies from the authorised agents, George Allen and Un-
Museum-street, win, Ltd.. 40.
in
London, W.CL. The Travelling Commission start- ed their investigations, sailing from Mar- seilles on October 9th. 1930, and concluded their itinerary on March 16th. 1932. after visiting many of the principal centres in the Far East. A debt of gratitude is due to the members of the Travelling Commis. sion for the care and labour shown making their investigations and for com. piling this voluminous report. It consists of 527 pages of vital information concern- ing the widespread traffic in human flesh and blood that prevails to-day. The report is appallingly tragic in its revelations. Most countries in the Far East or Near East have been willing to assist the Com- mission, and reveal something of the terrible conditions of helpless women and children birtared for main The rest of the East has offered a sufficiently wide scope for the labours of the Travelling Commis- sion, We wish it were possible in these days for the Daily Press. forever seeking new worlds of sensation to conquer. would delve into this Report and give the facts to the world. Streamer headlines dealing with the manner in which Chinese children are bought and sold in China might not be good nolitles, but they would make a bit of a stir in Britain. The widespread traffic in girls in Japan might not be a subject calculated to please, but it might stir Western women to some form of con certed action. The Report pleads for the support of public opinion, but how that public opinion is to be enlightened remains to be discovered. The significant and aw- ful fact that is forced upon one by reading the lines, and between the lines. of this stupendous volume is that slavery of wom- en and girls is looked upon as being of another order to slavery of men. The god of lust reigns and rules in the dark babi- tations, and helpless women and children are bartered in multitudes to satisfy the sensuality of men. That is the plain and unmistakable fact that will impress itself upon all who will obtain this Report and read. We would ask that all men and women of goodwill who are in any way able to influence public opinion would ob. tain a copy. The Commission visited Port Said. Jerusalem. Jaffa, Beirout, Damascus, Bagdad, Teheran, Bushire, Karachi, Bom bay, Colombo, Pondicherry, Madras, Del.
THE SLAVE MARKET NEWS.
hi, Calcitia. Rangoon. Penang, Deli, Port Swettentam, Kuala Lumpur, Johore, Bah- T1, Bangkok, Pnom Penh, Saignon-Cholon. Batavia, Semarang. Surabaya, Maccassar, Manila. Turane, Hanoi. Haiphong. Macao. Canton, Hongkong, Swatow, Amoy. Foo chow, Nanking, Shanghai, Cheffoo. Port Arthur. Tientsin. Pekin, Dairen, Moukden, Harbin, Anting. Keijo, Fusan. Nagasaki, Shimonieki. Osaka. Kobe, Kioto, Yoko- hama and Tokio. As one glances at the information provided, the prayer of the Psalmist arises instinctively. "O let the sorrowfu. sighing of the prisoners come before Thee; according to the greatness of Thy power. preserve Thou those that are appointed to die."
SLAVERY CENTENARY
CELEBRATIONS.
We understand that the Methodist Con- ference has passed a resolution that all her ministers shall preach on the slavery question on the last Sunday in July next. That is an encouraging sign and indicates that one of the great Christian churches is awakening to a sense of responsibility in the matter of slave-liberation. We feel however, that there must be much per- plexity to the minds of those who are ask ed to speak on this subject. Vast is the scope of enquiry and realm of investiga- tion. We feel strongly, too, that very few are able to speak with knowledge concern- ing the extent and nature of slavery that is rampart to-day. The danger is that the Slavery Centenary celebrations may con- vey to a large number of people the in- pression that things are much better than they are. To some of us it seems a mock- ery to celebrate the Centenary of Slave Abolition under the British flag if due pro- minence is not given to the fact that there
under is still considerable slaver
the British Big. Let the facts be made known concerning Hong Kong. Let those who are under the impression that there is no sla- very under the British flag read the report of the League of Nations' Commission to which we have already referred. It is not a difficult matter to search out the names of British possessions and read what is said concerning them. We write these few observaties with real grief. How can we pat ourselves on the back, metaphorically, for that which our forefathers have done if we refrain from following their lead. This is not a time for soft words and pious phrases, but for plain truth, "From the
liberality that says everybody is right, from the charity which forbids us to say that anybody is wrong, from the peace which is ought at the expense of truth. may the good Lord deliver us."
APRIL, 1933.
CHRISTIAN ASSYRIANS FIND A
REFUGE,
At the time of the Mosul Boundary dis- pute. we ventured to observe that there was a real danger to the Christian com- munities in Irak if ever the British left that country. The reports of General Lai- doner sent out by the League of Nations at the time were plain evidence that mas- sacre and enslavement had taken place just previously. Irak has now become a member of the League. and the British have all but gone. The Assyrians with the Armenians were our faithful allies at the time of the Great War, but it has been left to Persia to offer this gallant little nation & refuge. The Assyrian Christians are fearful of their future security in Irak. so they are trekking to Persia, where they are assured security from persecution At Geneva in 1924 we heard awaits them
their youthful a passionate appeal by spokesman.
It was a plea to the representatives of the Near East Conference to urge their need for security. The Western nations have. however, been unable to find them a place of sanctuary. Persia welcomes them. Our Armenian Allies were left to their fate by the Western Nations, but found a re fuge for their remnant in the Caucasus. Strange that Russia and Persia should find homes for the two most ancient Christian races. We were privileged to meet the re- presentative of the Assyrians at Geneva in 1924 and hear his case.
Like their Armenian brothers, they can sing:
"I will not be a heathen.
I will not be a slave.
If I cannot find a Christian home,
I'll find a Christian grave."
{]
FREEING THE SLAVES.* SIR JOHN SIMON'S REMARKABLE FIGURES.
Sir John Simon was among the speakers at a complimentary luncheon given on Tuesday in London to Mr. John H. Harris. the Parliamentary Secretary to the Anti- Slavery and Aborigines' Protection Society -who received a knighthood in the New Year's Honours.
Sir John said that Mr. Harris went to the Foreign Office when and as often as he found it necessary in connection with his anti-slavery work with that degree of persistence which is necessary if you want to get through the outer covering of any Mr. Harris Government department."
said that within the last 20 years not few- er than 465.389 slaves had been liberated. The British Foreign Office.
during the last 100 years, had framed and negotiater with other Powers over 650 anti-slaver treaties. It was estimated that during th same period Great Britain had spent w over £50,000.000 In police work against t Now, al slave trade on the high seas. British
Great and beneficent has been the work of The Anti-Slavery Society, and it is in no spirit of captious criticism that we sug- gest that celebrating the Centenary of the Abolition of Slavery within Possessions that its speakers will deal frankly with the condition of affairs in Hong Korg, where thousands of children are still bought and sold. We also further respectfully suggest that the slavery of women should be given as much promin- ence as the slavery of men. Why should the so-called White Slave Traffic, or the Traffic in Women and Children be treated on any different basis to the Red Sea Slave Trafic?
result of work done at Geneva during past 10 years, that burden had been s ed from the national shoulders to tho 60 nations, who were now, by a son instrument. bound to undertake colle/e- ly the task of the emancipation of atist 5.000.000 slaves.
Earl Buxton presided, and the ch- bishop of Canterbury
amongose present. Heckmondwike Herald, F 17.
1933.
was
APRIL, 1933.
THE SLAVE MARKET NEWS.
SLAVERY IN THE WORLD TO-DAY
By the Rev. JOHN R. PALMER, Lit.D.
Slavery! Slavery! Can it be that it exists in the world of human beings to day? In past ages, yes, but the world then was not half civilised, nearly all na tions, even of Europe were, as far as civi lisation goes. in much the same state as "the backward races.' so called. of the East to-day. But now we are well on i the twentieth century of Christianity! We have at least reached a state, with all our shortcomings. in which civilised, to say nothing of Christian nations. might reasonably be expected to show "a more excellent way" of treating those classes of the human race which are commonly re garded as its most backward representa- tives. Is that our aim and endeavour? Are we trying at all times and everywhere to do that, and nothing less, in the world to-day? If so, Slavery should soon be a thing of the Past. But the opposite of this is true, and has been for centuries. Although a modern writer says: "In the Roman Empire, slavery was a recognised and regular institution
To-day Christians do not tolerate slavery." Would that it were so. as far as all Christian nations are concerned. But what of the White Slave Traffic in our own and other lands, from which its victims seldom, if ever, escape. What is the awful record of it which the National Vigilance Associa tion is able to furnish? Of young girls snatched from home and friends, ensnar- ed by the most insidious means on the streets and elsewhere, then lost, and doomed almost hopelessly to a life of shame and suffering. And to-day it still goes on in defiance of all efforts to check he diabolical traffic, because the subtle ievices of the entrepreneur prevail. This orm of Slavery for immoral purposes is Isponsible in London and elsewhere for te loss to home and friends of scores of ecent and respectable girls every year, hile in Japan many commit suicide to apid falling a prey to this hideous thral- dy.
And it is an indisputable fact, that inIndia all the circumstances of the en foled conjugal relationships in which thesands of young girls, mere children, ant themselves, are nothing less than Slapry We speak of the age-long "cus- ton and practices of such lands and race but it has been truly said that "the dendest for of humanity is the deaden- ing
wer of custom." The question is, are as a Christian nation, doing all in our wer to discourage such practices? Whatt. of Slavery and the Slave Trade proper We speak of our emancipation of the sives a century ago, and of our more recht efforts to put down various forms avery in different places. But what we be facts as to the number of slaves pot in the world to-day? It has been estimted that there are from four to six mullis, exclusive of the quarter of a million. Siet Slaves whose condition to-day is th of "poorly clad, badly hous- ed, and halfurved human chattels." and who are "thorised" by corps of the
Ogpu
(seet police) agents, and by
י.
"Ratkovsky, the notorious Chekist and executioner." In fact, under its murder- ous Communist despots almost the whole of Russia is forced labour. At Odessa men have been obliged to work in "shift:” of five days under armed sentries, with little time for sleep, and women fourteen hours a day. There is a cry of distress in such facts to which no reasonable and in. telligent being can be deaf! Nor is it only the poor and working class that is oppressed and terrorised in Russia to-day. but thousands of all classes who have known both of "life's opposite poles' 01 luxury and poverty "the loneliness and the fellowship that exist in a generation." Again, in the slow march of a hundred years or more. how little has been dour by nations to put down the Slave Trade. It was condemned by the Treaty of Vien- na in 1815, and our forefathers regarded past efforts as only a preliminary move to future and more complete measures cf emancipation. And yet to-day there are "still five millions of human chattels " in the world. Well may the Archbishop of Canterbury say that Slavery is "the open sore of the world!" In Abyssinia alone there are now two millions of people bought and sold as human merchandise! Slavery still survives in Sierra Leone. In Burma (India) and is widespread over al- most the whole of China. Branding on lips, face and hands, and other cruelties, are still practised in this abominable in- stitution. while "hundreds of girl slaves have been seen on the march, chained to- gether and whipped like cattle by Ara)- ian traders." In Liberia the condition of Slaves is terrible, they are often to be seen in chains and collars. The lot of the poor African slave down all the ages has been pitiable in the extreme. while some of the worst features are manifest in the Slavery carried on in Japan. And even in Kenya, under the British flag. cot only have the natives "no legal right in their own land." but forced labour is widespread everywhere, which at the best is but poorly disguised Slavery. In Ketya "the link is snapped between the African farmer and his land. His relation to the soil is reduced almost to that of a serf to the white settler." No wonder that w¬ have reason to fear, as many do, the final results of the Clash of Colour.” More- over. "Great Britain is committed to the principle of trusteeship for the economic, moral and social progress of the African."'* It is therefore, up to us not to allow Slav- ery under our flag, but to see that as far as possible-
"These things shall be! A loftier race Than ere the world has known shall rise. With flame of freedom in their souls. And light of knowledge in their eyms.”
* As recently as the 10th of February this year, this fact was emphasised in the National Assembly of the Church of England.
5
SUMMARY OF THE REPORT ON THE TRAFFIC IN WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE FAR EAST, 28 pages, 1-. PUB. LISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION FOR MORAL AND SOCIAL HYGIENE, LIV- INGSTONE HOUSE, BROADWAY, WEST-
MINSTER, LONDON, S.W.1.
This is a useful summary of the recently published report of the Commission ap- pointed by the League of Nations to enquire into the Traffic in Women and Children in the Far East. The complete report, which consists of 527 pages, costs 16. This pamphlets sums up in 28 pages the results of the investigations of the Commissioners in the various countries visited, which include Ceylon, China, India, Irak. Japan. Malaya, Manchuria, Palestinc. Persia. Slam and Syria. It should be invaluable to those who have to study or speak on this subject.
MAKE ME KIND."
So many hearts are breaking
And many more are aching
To hear the tender word.
God make me kind!
For I myself am learning
That my sad heart is yearning
For some sweet word to heal my hurt.
O Lord, do make me kind.
God make me kind!
So many hearts are needing
The balm to stop the bleeding
That my kind words can bring.
God make me kind!
For I am also seeking
The cure in some one's keeping
They should impart to my sick heart.
O Lord, do make me kind.
God make me kind!
So many hearts are lonely
And asking for this only
The kind and tender word.
God make me kind!
To all who mutely ask it
Before they fill the casket
Or bouquets may be wreaths one day.
O Lord, do make me kind.
-DUNCAN MCNEIL
* The Friend of Japan, Oct.-Dec., 1932.
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