COPY
BAI TISH LESATION,
480
PIKING.
May 28th, 1919.
std
No. 236
Copies to India, fokyo, Hongkong and Singapore.
My Lord,
I have the honour to report that a mocent came at
Shanghai in which a British subject was convicted for importing opium into China raised the question as to how far the import
of opium was notually forbidden by English ss apart from Chinese law, A copy of the report on this aspect of the case from His Majesty's Consul-General at Shanghai is enclosed here- with. It is obvious from Bir Everard Yramer's despatch that
what the situation requires is theissue of an International
Regulati on proki bi ting dealings on the part of any foreigner of whatever nationality in opium or alkaloida of opium, unless
The so ti on recen t- spesially licensed for medicinal purposes.
ly taken by His Majesty's Government at the Paris Conference will doubtless lend to such legislation in course of time, but
5. 22 of 1919, it seemed to me desirable to remove at once all possibility of doubt as to the legality of British subjects engaging in this traffic. In view of the syntomatio smuggling of spi um
by foreigners both by land and ses I suggested to the Minister for Foreign Affairs the advisability of addressing a circular
nate to the foreign Legatione, notifying them of the prohibi- tion against dealings in spium, in continuation of the notifie sations of 1908 and 1911 against the import of spium arĺpornis
The Right Fonourable
Katl Curses of Kedleston, K.0., (1.0.4 1×,
etc.
e to.
and/