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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.157369
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OPIUM
CONFIDENTIAL.
[700]
No. 1.
of 21 FEB 1
[January 7.]
SECTION 2.
Sir,
Colonial Office to Foreign Office.-(Received January 7.)
Downing Street, January 6, 1911. WITH reference to your letter of the 18th June and previous correspondence, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to transmit to you, to be laid before Sir E. Grey, copies of the despatches noted in the margin,* regarding the control of the traffic in opium, morphine, and cocaine in Hong Kong.
2. I aim to invite attention to Sir F. May's Confidential despatch of the 24th October, in which he refers to the fact that morphine, compounds of opium, and cocaine are exported in considerable quantities to Macao, whence they are re-exported to China without restriction. Action could, no doubt, be taken in Hong Kong, by legislation or regulation, to prohibit the export of morphine, &c., to Macao, but presumably the only result of such action, unless steps were also taken in Macao itself, would be that the drugs would be shipped there direct instead of through Hong Kong. Mr. Harcourt would therefore inquire whether it would be possible to approach the Portuguese Government in the matter.
3. In connection with Sir F. Lugard's despatch No. 385, and the resolution which was moved in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong on the 27th October, Mr. Harcourt wishes to call attention to the desirability of regulating, by means of legislation, the export of morphine, cocaine, and similar drugs from the United Kingdom.
4. It is, of course, the case that effective protection of China and the British colonies in the Far East from the importation of these drugs can only result from international action, and such action must await the result of the proposed international conference at The Hague. But it appears to the Secretary of State that it would be desirable to take steps to obtain power to restrict the supply of morphine, cocaine, &c. as far as possible, and it occurs to him that this might be done by means of an Act of Parliament which would prohibit their export from the United Kingdom to any place designated by Order in Council to be issued under the Act unless they were consigned, in the case of a British colony, to the Government, and in the case of China or other foreign country, to His Majesty's consuls. Distribution of the drugs for necessary purposes could thus be left to the Governments of the countries concerned, or arranged in concert with them.
5. A copy of this letter is being forwarded to the Board of Trade, and Mr. Harcourt would suggest that, if Sir E. Grey sees no objection, it would be desirable to consult with that department as to the possibility of initiating legislation in Parliament at an early date on the lines proposed.
I am, &c.
H. BERTRAM COX,
* O.A.G., No. 857, 21st October; ditto, No. 363, 24th October; ditto, Confidential, 24th October; Governor, Confidential, 10th November; ditto, No. 385, 7th November, 1910; not printed.
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