504
سود
The Governor of Hong Kong
is sceptical of the effectiveness of the regulations for the reasons indicated above. On the other hand
he has agreed that the regulations would stop the traffic so far as
and British snips are concerned,
H.M.G. would have set an example which
other powers belonging to the League of Nations could scarcely refuse to
follow.
It will be seen that Sir P.
Loraine practically agrees with the 0.0. views that ultimately the scheme might well not be effective because
the traffic would be diverted to foreign
ships: and to this is now added the view of the American Adviser(in which Sir P. Loraine concurs) that the immediate effects might well be to ruin the merchants who at the moment nave opium on their hands and contracts to fulfil(2)that the peasants who have already sown their seed for next year's crop
would also be ruined, a tirat The
economic disturbance caused by the ruin of Persia's staple industry as the result of action taken by H.M.G. would have a very bad political effect which would be particularly unfortunate at the present moment. He suggests, therefore, that no such drastic
action
(
widence other South to follow trait
action ought to be taken and that
the evil ought to be dealt with
gradually and through the action of
the League of Nations.
The line taken by Sir
Malcolm Delevingne is:-
(1)
that his scheme would
not interfere with legitimate
traffic; so that the American
Adviser's opinion that the effect
of the regulations would be to put a complete stop to the traffic
so far as British ship are concerned
is really an admission that the
traffic is practically entirely
illicit; and that therefore its continuance in British ships ought
not to be countenanced.
(2) that the League of Nations
is powerless, and,
(3) that unless H.M.G. takes
a strong line it is not fulfilling its obligations under the Opium
Convention.
(4) By Setting the example, HDR, unight a
In dealing with the opium
question in the Colonies the 0.0. has all sien taken the line:-
(1) that political and economic considerations cannot be
overlooked.
(2) that sudden action ie liable to do more harm than good.
The policy in the Colonies therefore is that suppression must take place
gradually.
Subject