This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
F2681/330/10
No. 1.
[August 22.]
SECTION 1,
July 215.
(No. 304.) My Lord,
Sir B. Alston to Earl Curzon.-(Received Auglet 22.)
I HAVE the honour to advert to the question of the penalisation of British
Peking, June 9, 1921. steamers on the Yang-tze on account of the smuggling of opium by members of the native crews, which was referred to in Mr. Clive's despatch No. 763 of the 27th November, 1920, and dealt with more fully in my despatch No. 77 of the 14th February last, enclosing a copy of a letter from the British Chamber of Commerce at Shanghai on the subject.
me,
The matter has of recent months assumed increased proportions, and has evoked a considerable amount of feeling among British steamship companies, who, as was mentioned in paragraph 7 of my despatch No. 238 of the 5th May, contrast the strict measures applied to foreign vessels with the apparent immunity enjoyed by Chinese vessels under official control. In the case of these latter the officers in charge frequently evade search by preventing the customs officials from coming on board, and there is strong reason to believe-although no actual proof is at present to hand-that quantities of opium are transported down the river by their agency, A strong protest on this subject from the British Chamber of Commerce at Shanghai has just reached
and I am
asking the Inspector-General of Customs to favour me with his observations thereon. On a recent occasion at Hankow matters were brought to a head by Messrs. Jardine, Matheson's agent refusing to comply with the customs authorities demand that they should deposit a sum of money pending investigation into the case of one of the company's ships on which opium had been found concealed, His Majesty's consul- general supported the agent, and raised the question as to whether the customs authorities have any right to proceed to action against a British ship in such circum- stances otherwise than by filing a complaint in the British Consular Court charging them with the commission of an offence under King's Regulations No. 22 of 1919 prohibiting British subjects to cleal in opium except under licence. The question having been referred by Mr. Goffe to the Acting Crown Advocate, the latter formulated an opinion to the effect that the Customs had no power to inflict an arbitrary fine ou the Company. 1 have the honour to enclose a copy of Mr. Mossop's despatch. In the meantime His Majesty's consul-general received privately from the Commissioner of Customs an assurance that British steamers would henceforth not be fined for carrying opium. In the present circumstances I consider that this offers the best solution of the situation, and I am asking the inspector-general privately if he is willing to confirm the commissioner's assurance. The shipping companies and their officers will of course remain liable to prosecution under the King's Regulation it smuggling takes place under conditions which implicate the ship's officers.
In connection with the Hankow case mentioned, I have received a despatch from His Majesty's consul-general, of which a copy is enclosed, regarding representations made by Messrs. Jardiue, Matheson to the authorities concerning the circumstances in which the seizure of the opium on board their ship the "Kutwo" took place. The facts, as stated in the captain's report, furnish a good illustration of the danger of the present system of attempting to cope with opium smuggled by offering large rewards for seizures. The present case seems to afford fairly strong evidence of collusion between subordinate customs employees and opium smugglers with a view to sharing the reward between the two parties,
In accordance with instructions in your Lordship's despatch No. 312 of the 23rd March I am addressing a formal official protest on the subject of opium suppression to the Chinese Government, a copy of which I shall have the honour to trausmit to your Lordship in a subsequent despatch.
I have, &c.
B. ALSTON.
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