1
COPY.
Enclosure /.
INTERNATIONAL ANTI-OPIUM ASSOCIATION, PEKING.
28 Erh Tiao Hutung,
328
Peking, December 20th, 1920.
His Excellency
Sir Reginald Stubbs, K.C.M.G.,
Government House,
Sir,
Hongkong.
The Board of Directors of the International Anti- Opium Association, Peking, has instructed me to respectfully request from Your Excellency the favour of certain informat-
ion.
In order to make clear the character of the information desired it is necessary to state that recently two of the Directors had an interview with Mr. Holyoak, a member of the Hongkong Legislative Assembly who made the following statements to them:-
1. That the Hongkong Goverment is gradually extinguish- ing the importation of opium into the Colony:
2. That the Hongkong Government is reducing its opium revenue by a fixed percentage yearly to a date about three years hence when this Hongkong Opium Revenue will be complete -ly abolished:
3. That in consequence of arrangements between the British and Chinese Goverments the Hongkong opium revenue has been considerably reduced, while the Chinese Government, or its officials, having at a certain time abolished Chinese opium production are now securing opium revenue, and are thus causing an unfair loss to the Hongkong Government.
As regards the first statement (1) it is noted from the Chinese Custome Returns that the amount of opium
imported