Vol. xvi, No. 8.
BIRTH CONTROL NEWS
27
813
THE R. CATHOLIC HERALD OF JULY 2, 1937, published the following, which all readers should take to heart as a warning:- The Catholic Union of Great tion of birth control, that it intended
Britain.
to promote contraception in the
London to Hong Kong.
Activities Reach from the City of southern provinces of China, thus going directly counter to the law of the country.
By Our Special Correspondent. [Closely linked with the activities in Great Britain of the Catholic Union of Great Britain is the decision of the Colonial Office to forbid officials in the Colonies using their positions to advocate birth control among the people over whom they have been placed.]
Among activities of the Union in England during the past year have been agreements with the L.C.C. that physically defective children should as far as possible attend Catholic Hospital schools in preference to the County Council's special schools. A letter has been received from the Clerk of the L.C.C. saying that this contention of the Roman Catholic Union is not disputed and the hospitals and medical services committee propose that arrangements shall be made by the Council accordingly except in the cases of surgical tuberculosis."
CL
BIRTH CONTROL PROPAGANDA IN HONG KONG.
Birth control propaganda among the Chinese in Hong Kong has recently caused indignation among the better element of the population.
A few weeks ago the Chinese Gov- ernment issued from Canton, the southern capital, a decree banning the sale of contraceptives "in the interest of public morality"-the promotion of public morality being one of the chief ideals of the NEW LIFE MOVEMENT which is rapidly making a profound change in the life of China.
Within a few days after the issue of this decree an announcement was made by the
Eugenics League" of Hong Kong, an organization for the promo-
"
The moving spirit in this propagandist movement is a prominent Hong Kong Government official, Mr. R. D. Forrest, Secretary for Chinese affairs, who has unlimited control over everything relat- ing to the local Chinese population.
He is the President of the Hong Kong Rationalist Association, and the Vice-Chairman of this Association has just been appointed to
one of the highest positions in the Police Service, a position held for many years by an exemplary Catholic.
Circulars Bearing Official Stamp.
Another form of birth control propa- ganda now seen is the diffusion of propagandist literature in Chinese among the poor of the Colony. Indig nant Catholic parents have found that in their absence distributors have invaded their houses and put this literature into the hands of the younger members of the family.
The foundation of this propagandist association, and its present outburst of activity, both occurred during periods when, owing to changes of office, there was no Governer in the Colony.
On the previous occasion, Mr. Forrest started the society by sending circulars from the address of the Office of the Colonial Secretary, and this has created the impression in the eyes of many Chinese that it has official sanction.
On the intervention of the Catholic Union of Great Britain in this matter the Colonial Office has ruled that it is clearly irregular that a Colonial Secretariat Office should be allowed at
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