New Britain herald., 1925-09-18
KIDNAPP|NGCURS AFFECTS CHINESE Outside Aid Sought in Curbins
 This Custom

Washington, Sept. IS Rt-Nearly i2 years ot organized effort to stamp out Kidnapping in China has served only to disclose that far greater ex- ertions are necessary IL this particu- lar form of slavery is 10 be done away with.
 The situation has prompted the Chinese who organized in Shanghai in 1912 the Anti-kidnapping society of China, through which nearly 4,- O00 women and children victims have been rescued from their cap | tors, to launch campaign abroad | for help in the task. Joseph J. Keegan Of Shanghai, the special | foreign commissioner Of the society, | has placed before the state depart ment a plan to raise fund Of S6,- 0Q0,000 for extension of the crusade against kidnappers. The move will be called to official attention also in London and Paris, although it is through the aid of private citizens that the project is to be carried out. Chinese kidnappers not only seize women and girls in the larger cities and ship them to far corners of the vast country to be sold to brother keepers, but prey also on the religi- ous desire of well-to-do Chinese to leave behind them sons 10 worship at their tombs and those of their ancestors. Where wealthy man ls sires, Chinese law permits him to adopt q boy to be reared as his own son and religious custom makes an- ctstor worship by such an adopted son as acceptable as though the boy were the blood descendant of the father. The kidnapping organizations seize upon this fact to send repre- sentatives to a wealthy man who has no son and interest him in tales of toy of fine qualities and who could he adopted provided the debts of the deceased father also were taken over. When deal has been made on this basis a youngster of the right age Is kidnapped on the streets and pamed off on the victim of the scheme.
 Boys also are kidnapped for sale into labor slavery. Recently In Shanghai the police of the French settlement discovered more than 30 Kidnapped native boys ranged In age from 12 10 15 years.
 The anti-kidnapping society main tains special force of agents to bunt out Kidnapping bands and CO., operate with the police. Of the tictims rescued. however, 1t has ieen possible to find parents or rel atives Of only few and the society TOW maintains an industrial training school al kiangwan where nor. than 500 are being educated and equipped to take care of themselves he cost of the work has reached q figure of about s7n,n0o annually and he drain upon the purses of the Chinese who originated the rescue work has compelled them for the first time 10 seek help outside Jt China Mir. keegsn was sent 10 lay the facts before number of wealthy men of philanthropic instincts here and In Europe.
 Throughout China, but phr,icu larly in the central and southern provinces, is spread a vast, loos fly knit orga nization of kidnappers wlo ply their terrible trade 10 an in creased extent as the years pass with thorough contempt for pro vincial officials or police. in the present disorganzed state of the country" Mir koegan explained The number of Kidnapping crimes committed during q year in China
 difficult 10 estimate. but is well over fifty thousand.
 There Is always ready market albeit an underground one, for tov. and girls suitable for sale into siaV, cry. and pitiable is the life of drudg- cry they are condemned to. More mature girls and young Womcn ;r' sold into what might he tern.et yellow slavery In all casos rofcr' is difficult. particularly as the ah ductors or Eidnappers seldom at tempt to market their catch uco their field of operations ani r"""r ally take tho victims to Il Gistan city"