his Confidential despatch of the 19th
of June, a copy of which is enclosed)
that it has been established that the
Mitsui Bussan Kaisha are concerned in
the traffic in opium as associates of
Messrs Nemazce. Lord Curzon will no
doubt recall that the connection
between the two was suggested in the
last paragraph of Despatch No. 29
of the 26th of November 1921 from the
Pritish Consul Nagasaki to Sir C. Elliot.
As will be seen from the accompanying
copy of a Secret despatch which was
received from the Governor last year,
the Hong Kong Government have so far not
been in a position to take any action
against Kessrs Nemazee. His Grace has,
however, recently suggested to the
Governo that the Colony should enact
legislation on the lines of the Dangerous
Drugs and Poisons (Amendment) Act 1923.
The Goverment will then have powers to
leal with persons who make use of Hong
39716 & Encls.
(encl. to 2104/22)
19545 & encl.
(10906)
328
Kong as their headquarters for carrying
on a traffic in opium and drugs outside
but
the colony whether the very extensive
powers of search etc., which the
Goverment will also acquire by this
legislation, will enable them to take
effective action, remains to be seen.
His Grace is disposed to think that
the chief effect will be merely to
compel the persons concerned to trans-
fer their Headquarters from Hong Kong.
hana
Lord Curzon is, of course, aware of
various other steps which have been
taken (or are in contemplation) to
make the illicit traffic in Persian
Opium more difficult. It may however
be well to recapitulate them here:-
A.
In order to put a stop to the
practice (which is referred to in
Messrs Akbar's letter of ships carry-
ing cargoes of opium clearing from
Gulf
porta in the Persian ostensibly for
A
Hong Kong, but actually for other porta
Kong
in
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