Patea & Waverley Press WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1926. SLAVERY OF TO-DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume XLVIII, 17 February 1926, Page 2

Patea & Waverley Press WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1926. SLAVERY OF TO-DAY.

THERE are some peoifle, our extreme Socialist friends in particular, who are never tired of complaining of the lack of freedom to be found under the Union Jack. It is not very long ago that we had the doubtful pleasure of listening to one of the Socialist orators, on the Auckland waterfront telling his audience that there was more freedom in China than in New Zealand. To these individuals it will probably come as a surprise to learn that actual slavery in its very worst form is still in existence in many countries where Hags other than the British Hag arc flown. They will probably be still further astonished to learn that to one of the delegates of New Zealand to the League of Nations, Sir Arthur Steel Maitland,' belongs the honour of drawing public attention to present-day' slavery, and starting a real crusade for its abolition. Just three years ago New Zealand’s delegate, as the outcome of facts which had been brought to his notice, moved a resolution committing the League of Nations to an attack on slavery in all its forms, with the result that a Temporary Slavery Committee was appointed to gather information and make recommendations. The report of this committee goes to show that slave trading and slave raiding exists in the following areas Sahara, South Morocco, South Tripoli, the Libyan Oases, Rio de Oro, Seuussi country, Abyssinnia, Liberia, China, liedj a/, and the Far East to Arabia. The report states that the slave trade is practised openly in several Mahommedan states in Asia, and in particular in the Arabian Peninsula, especially the Hedjaz. The Temporary Slavery Commission is informed on authority which it regards as entirely trustworthy, that many of the slaves of foreign origin in the Hedjaz are either young girls from the Far East who come as pilgrims or are smuggled for sale, or are persons coming from various countries accom-

panying their parents or-masters xii uic pilgrimage to Mecca, but tliere appears to be no-doubt they are sold as slaves. With regard to slavery in China the Archbishop of said in the House of Lords as recently as May 13 last:—“ The revelations about China and the degree and character of Chinese slavery were to nic startling, in the highest degree. 1 had occasion to talk the matter over with an eminent Chinaman, who is in this country. I drew a very dark picture of what China appeared to be. It appeared so dark to me that I hardly liked to put it to him as being true, but he said that the picture was not nearly dark, enough. I spoke of Western . China, where slavery is rife, but said that it was impossible to buy slaves at this moment in the great cities in the East. He said 1 Oh, yes, it is. I could buy them in half an'hour:' In Hongkong the position is'different,.but I am told that in Shanghai, even with its European zones of influence, slaverey is still rife.”. These words of the Archbishop of Canterbury will come as a shock to many who fondly imagined slavery to be a thing of , the past,_ but New Zealanders'.especially will be both gratified and proud to note, gfhat it is one of their delegates to the League of Nations who is responsible for the first real steps being taken for its abolition. The immensity of the task, and the value of Sir Arthur Steel • Maitland’s work will be realised when public opinion wakes up to the iact that, taking aIL classes of slaves and conscripted labourers covered by the Commission’s report, their , number , must largely exceed a million men women and children. The “friends” of Britain who are continually declaiming against the lack of freedom enjoyed.under the British flag might, well turn their attention in the future to the countries mentioned in the Slavery Commission ’s report, and_ endeavour to remedy the state of affairs existing there. "When the last of the million slaves has been freed they might then commence to talk of the lack of freedom in British lands.