Mr. Churchill has decided to abolish the system of child-
adoption in Hong Kong. This decision has been forced upon the Government by the splendid and self-sacrificing efforts of Lieut.-Commander H. L. Haslewood and Mrs. Haslewood. Mrs. Haslewood became interested in the case of an unhappy Chinese child in Hong Kong, and discovered that the system of so-called adoption, under which the adopter pays a sum of money and obtains complete control of the child, was in practice a particularly cruel form of child-slavery. Many of the girls adopted are forced to become prostitutes. Com- mander Haslewood was told that it was undesirable to interfere with Chinese customs, and that if the adopted children were cruelly used, instead of being merely employed as domestic servants as is the intention of the custom, the real remedy was better inspection. He refused to be satisfied. His persistence involved him in a charge of acting contrary to discipline as an officer, and he was sent home on half-pay. But now he has triumphed. Under his inspiration the Anti-Slavery Society and Colonel John Ward have compelled the Government to act. What a satisfying thought it is that in a case of this sort a private person ultimately turns up to sacrifice himself like Telemachus ! We heartily congratulate Commander and Mrs. Haslewood.
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