BONDAGE IN CHINA

Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1932, Page 7

BONDAGE IN CHINA

AUSTRALIA GIRL’S FATE. SYDNEY, September 22. A remarkable story is fold of the rescue 'from a life of bondage in a Chinese village of a young' white girl, a native of Townsville, North Queensland. The rescue was effected as a result of special efforts made by Coffl* missionei 1 Mttkwbll, head of the Salvation Arthy iii Australia $ slid the girl is now oh her Way back to Australia with her luilf-ca&te baby. The Commissioner recently made m of hi« periodical tours of Australia, and when he was in Townsville he was told an amazing story concerning a pretty white girl. .It was said that she had married a Chinese, and that the husband bad compelled her to go to China with him. It was known that there had been jio news of her. She had practically; disappeared and her distracted relatives lir.d failed in all their attempts to trace her. Commissioner Maxwell at once sot in motion the machinery of his vast organisation. But he had to move warily. The facts of the ease were sent by cables in code to the headquarters of the Salvation Army at Peking, and almost immediately social workers began their difficult task of attempting to trace the girl. Tt was some time before she was eventually located living in conditions cf squalor at the village of Shekki, about 9-0 miles from the Portugese colony 0 f Macao. The girl bad been living the life a low-caste coolie woman, and she Had been ignored by her husband in favour of a Chinese “Wife.” The girl was an outcast, and was being treated as sued by the rest of the community. She suffered many cruelties, and even hei child was taken from her. She and her child will arrive in Australia b;. the Taiping in the course of the next few (leys.