Translation
Copy
MEMORANDUM.
The Imperial Ministry for Foreign Affairs have received His Majesty's Embassy's Memorandum, dated September 29th 1925, on the subject of the smuggling of prohibited goods at Hongkong. The Imperial Ministry for Foreign Affairs have made
investigations into this matter in various quarters, and as a result they have definitely ascertained that the correspondence
enclosed in the abovementioned Memorandum consists of letters
exchanged between the parties concerned for the purpose of concluding a certain contract for the mining of minerals in the Paracel Islands, negotiations for which were in progress at that
time, and that the letters have no reference whatever to the
smuggling of morphine etc.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs have the honour to add
here that Mr. Shimidzu, the Acting Japanese Consul-General at
Canton did no more than undertake, on behalf of Mr. Saito, a
Member of the House of Representatives, the role of intermediary
in connection with the making of the above contract and in the
capacity of the resident Imperial Consular Official.
Further, with regard to Mr. Acting Consul-General
Shimidzu's connection with this case, the Imperial Ministry for
Foreign Affairs venture to request the attention of His Majesty's
Embassy, in addition, to the circumstances set forth in the
enclosure.
Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
April 29th, 1926.