11 FEBRUARY 1928, Page 26

HUMANITY AND LABOUR IN CHINA. By Adelaide Mary Anderson, D.B.E.

(Student Christian Movement. /Os. 6d.)—Dame Anderson, who was the principal woman inspector of factories for many years, has made two visits to China to investigate the industrial conditions, once unoffi- cially and once as a member of the Indemnity Delegation. In this thoughtful book she describes in plain terms what she saw. She disposes of the wicked falsehood that foreign- owned factories are working harm to Chinese women and children. Such factories are few, and are in any case con- ducted with more humanity than any Chinese factory. Hong-Kong has a modem factory law and enforces it. China has factory laws which are vaguely phrased and never enforced. The International Settlement at Shanghai was prevented only by technical reasons from securing factory reform. Dame Anderson says very truly that the civil wars must stop before any social reforms can be secured. She writes with undue reserve, in the Blue-book manner, but her book is well worth reading.