WHITE SLAVERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20402, 2 November 1929, Page 16

WHITE SLAVERY.

BRITISH REFORMER'S WORK. WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE WINS. A MUCH-TRAVELLED VISITOR. A lending figure in the world wide cam• paign against the white slave traffic, Mr. Maurice Gregory, a prominent English Quaker, arrived by the Rangitiki yesterday on a visit to hiij brother, Mr. Alfred Gregory, o) Dargaville. For 13 years he liiis devoted his time and energy to the cause o! philanthropy arid social progress in all parts of the globe. He is a member of the Bishop of London's Morality Council, which interests itself in a variety of social problems affecting t.ho welfare of London, and has travelled widely in the interests of special committees of the British House of Commons.

In 1911 Air. Gregory, who is a member of tho Society of Friends, London, was selected by a Parliamentary committee 10 visit Japan to influence public opinion and tho Japanese Government against the re-establishment of tho Yoshiwara, tho "red light" district of Tokio, burned in the disastrous lire of that year. Although not successful m preventing tho rebuilding of tho quarter, he had tho satisfaction of seeing important reforms carried out. As vice president of the Parliamentary committee carrying ouL Lhe work of Josephine Butler, he also played a part in the campaign which brought about the abolition of the State regulation of vice in Great Britain in 1886. Independence of Woman. Thanks to individual effort and Lhe mutual help of governments, white slavery has been reduced to very small proportions, taking the countries as a whole," said Mr. Gregory. " The woman's suffrage movement has made a great deal of difference. The new independence of woman has altered the whole problem since the war, so much so that, girl immigrants going to Canada a few years ago very much resented the special measures of protection afforded them. file greatest help in effecting reforms, however, has been the fact that public opinion and the press of all countries has been solidly behind us." Mr. Gregory actively cooperated with four Parliamentary leaders in obtaining the abolition of the Government's share in tho opium traffic between India and the East, in the nineties and he visited India, China and Japan in furtherance of that object. Famine in India also engaged his attention, and it was partly through the representations to which ho subscribed that tho Indian Government built the network of "famine railways" which enable food to be rushed at a moment's notice to the centres of distress. The Attitude ol Japan. " When I first went to India 48 years ago, it was not. uncommon for 1,500,000 to 2.000.000 people to die in time of famine," Mr. Gregory said. " A short time ago. when another famine was threatened, the chief of the Famine Department announced in all confidence that not- onlv would the crisis pass without a single death occurring, but also there would not even be a case of emaciation. And the most interesting thing is that all these, 'famine railways' are self-sup-porting and are running without cost to the rntepavers." The great need of the present day was the further cementing of the bonds of friendship between the nations. It was distressing to Mr. Gregory to detect a fear of Japan among Australians abroad. " I havo often sounded Japanese nationals and officials on this topic," he said. " and in every case, they laughingly scoffed at the idea that tho countries of the, Pacific would ever tempt thern. To incur the displeasure of Britain was the last thing on earth they desired. If they were'out for conquest the huge unpopulated spaces of China and Siberia would surelv attract them first."