CO129-551-2 Mui Tsai system 30-11-1934 - 22-11-1935 — Page 68

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entirely misled by it myself, when I first read it and

when I drew your attention to it. On reading it again,

I see that the Committee is partly referring to

sales in China. T suggest therefore that the statement

is open to objecti

objectionon the ground that, if it refers to

sales in "ong Kong,it is inaccurate, for there can be

so "sale" of a free person, and that, if it refers to

sules in

it is outside the terms of reference,

and is calculated to give grave offence to a friendly

Government.

68

Commander Tazlewood (who is doubtless well

known to you by reputation) And the British Commonwealth

League would be fully justified in contending that the

statement was in answer to their resolution.

If they

did so they would place the Colonial Office on the horns

So,

of a dilemma.

It would be necessary either to admit

the impeachment or to argue that it applied to China.

A further complication might arise if (as is quite poss-

-ib the Committee itself does not agree on what it meant.

The attitude of the Chinese "overnment is that

it abolished" the i-tsai system by the regulations

in these

of september1952. Tt is extremely sensitive to suggestions

that the regulations have not had their effect.

circunstances, the publication, on pages 51 onwards, of forms

of sales, etc, taken fron the Pei-lai-tai-tsun, is to be

deprecated. Nothing is said of the date,authenticity

TA

is only a

or official recomition of the work.

watter of antiquarian research, it has no hearing upon

the present day circumstances of ang "ong.

succested that, despite the 1 tha

in China,itis distinctly offensive.

it is outside the this of reference.

stin

In either case,

In items (I) and (9) of its conclusions,