small rooms in large buildings,
sometimes under lock and key, sometimes at liberty to come and go, is
adopted to a limited degree among Japanese girls. Across the river these
girls are kept in the Chinese quarter. They are owned by wealthy
Japanese and Chinese men. The property thus used for saloon, gambling
and for a slave market for girls is said to belong to an estate
controlled by a high official of the state."

Of another city our investigator says: "In conversation with a very
intelligent Chinese woman, the direct question was asked, 'Are the
Chinese and Japanese women actual prisoners owned and controlled by
their keepers?' She said that such was practically the case, and that
none of these girls were allowed to leave their rooms without being
escorted by older people, whose presence with them would insure their
return.

"It is remarkable that the authorities of Oakland seem to regard this
crib slavery of young girls as part of the legitimate business of the
city."

Of a third city he says: "There is a district in ----, covering five
blocks--a crib district--where the floating population gathers by the
hundreds. The girls here number from 100 to 600.

"One other similar section of ---- is owned by some very prominent and
wealthy citizens, who pay taxes on the property. Their names are known.
In the suburbs is a field containing the nameless graves of 451 unknown
girls."

Many cases are on record of the attempts of missionary workers, some
successful and some unsuccessful, to snatch these victims from their
owners. One missionary told of an instance where she had been informed
that one of five girls confined in a certain room in a house of
ill-repute desired to escape. With the help of an honest policeman and
two assistants the missionary forced her way into the room. When she
found the five girls she was at a loss to determine what to do, because
she could not recognize which one wished to escape. She had been
informed that the girl she sought would be afraid to indicate her wish.
After hesitation the missionary selected one girl and told the detective
to seize her. The girl screamed, kicked, scratched and fought her
rescuers with the greatest energy, but was carried into the street and
into the mission house. As soon as she was inside the house she fell at
the feet of the teacher and said, "Teacher, you know I didn't mean what
I said. I did not dare to show any desire to go for fear I might be
taken back