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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference -
1111C.O.882/12
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE AS REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Recommendation 2.
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Scientific research on the opium smoking problem. SIR MALCOLM DELEVINGNE said that he had difficulty in appreciating the value and scope of this recommendation. What, for instance, did the Commission mean by and the question of heredity of some of the secondary effects of opiam smoking
Again, how was the "harmless substitutes for opium for smoking purposes." relative harmfulness of smoking and eating to be discovered except by experiment on human beings?
SIR JOHN CAMPBELL said that he thought that the attitude of the Commission on the question of the comparative harmfulness of opium smoking and opium eating harl been determined by the fact that they had visited India first and the Far East last and had been influenced by the very decided views that the officials of the Far Eastern Territories were known to hold on the matter.
It was 3. Limitation and control of poppy cultivation by international action. agreed that it was unnecessary for Colonial Governments to comment on this. The matter was not one for the Bangkok Conference but for the Advisory Committee to which the Council had referred it.
As regards the recommendation that the purchase of raw opium should be made by the Monopolies in co-operation with each other, SIR MALCOLM DELEVINGNE pointed out that this proposal had already been made by the Home Office and that the matter was in suspense pending a further meeting with Sir C. Clementi. See minutes of the 11th meeting of the Interdepartmental Committee.
SIR GILBERT GRINDLE agreed that the Report of the League Commission put the matter on a different footing and that it would be difficult for the Straits Settlements Government to hold out further against the proposal.
SIR JOHN CAMPBELL thought that joint buying was the obvious thing to do and that the Straits Settlements Government should be instructed to join the other Govern- ments in any scheme for joint purchasing which might be agreed upon.
MR. PERRINS reminded the Committee that Sir C. Clementi had agreed to discuss the matter on his return to Singapore with the Governors-General of the Netherlands East Indies and of Indo-China.
The Com- 4. Measures to combat demand for opium for smoking purposes. mittee agreed that the Colonial Governments should be asked for observations on these recommendations
SIR JOHN CAMPBELL and MR. DIXON thought that the Government of Burma would
be strongly opposed to organized propaganda.
For instance,
5. Measures to prevent illicit traffic. The Committee considered that it might be possible to put certain of these recommendations into operation at once. that relating to close co-operation in preventive work.
It was agreed that the Foreign Office should consider the question of approaching Foreign Governments and asking them if they were prepared to instruct their local Governments to co-operate on the lines of these recommendations of the League Commission with the British Colonies, and that, if they agreed, the Colonial Govern- ments should be instructed to arrange for close co-operation with neighbouring terri- tories in preventive work.
6. Measures to identify Government-prepared opium. It was agreed that it was unnecessary to make any comment upon this when forwarding the report to the Colonial Governments, as the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong already placed a tell-tale substance in their Monopoly opium.
7. Control of international trade. This recommendation is already complied with in British territory.
8. Reduction of retail price on Government opium. MR. PASKIN pointed out that if a lead was to be given to the Colonial Governments on this point it would be necessary to go to the Cabinet in the first instance as the Colonial Governments were tied in the matter by a Cabinet decision.
SIR JOHN CAMPBELL thought the better course was to call for the Colonial Govern- ments' views irrespective of the instructions they were now under.
MR. PASKIN suggested that the Colonial Governments should be asked, in giving their views to say approximately what they considered would be the result as regards increase in consumption and upon smuggling.
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SIR JOHN CAMPBELL said that consideration of these points must lead to the difficult question of where the Colonies were to get the additional opium which they would require to meet increased consumption.
It was decided that the Governments should be asked to give a considered report on the proposal in all its aspects, on which His Majesty's Government could then come to a conclusion.
9. Complete Opium Monopoly for retail distribution. As this proposal was the accepted policy of His Majesty's Government it was agreed that it was unnecessary to give any lead in regard to it. SIR MALCOLM DELEVINGNE pointed out, however, that according to the Committee's report the shops in Hong Kong were not restricted to the selling of opium but appeared also to be engaged in the sale of other commodities. He thought that the intention of Article 1 (3) of the Geneva Agreement was that the retail sale of opium should be in the hands of persons appointed for the purpose and solely engaged in the business.
10. Retail of opium for cash only. The Committee had no comments to make
on this recommendation.
11. Measures to control individual consumption. Licensing and Rationing. The difficulties of this recommendation were discussed. In particular it was pointed out that the Government of Hong Kong had always opposed rationing.
After some liscussion the Committee was agreed that the Government of Hong Kong should be told to report what they could do to carry the recommendation into effect.
12. Prohibition for minors to smoke opium. The Committee thought that it would be sufficient to ask the Colonial Governments to comment upon this.
13. Smoking Establishments. SIR MALCOLM DELEVINGNE said he gathered that the Committee had been impressed with the Siamese view that by compelling persons
to smoke in public they discouraged the practice as the more respectable members of society disliked being seen smoking in dens.
SIR JOHN CAMPBELL felt certain that the Government of India would not accept this recommendation. They looked upon opium smoking as a social vice and con- sidered that it should be treated as such and not tolerated in public. He thought that from his conversations with M. Van Wettum that the Government of the Netherlands Indies would not accept the recommendation either. One had to consider too, the possible repercussion on the illicit traffic. If smokers could not obtain opium to smoke in private from the Government shops they would be driven to go to the smuggler.
MR PASKIN pointed out that the Colonial Governments had already sunk a con- siderable amount of capital in establishing retail shops.
14. Control and disinfection of opium pipes. The proposed inspection of the hygienic conditions of the pipes of private smokers appeared to Sir Malcolm Delevingne to be "* inspection run mad." It was unnecessary to make any comment upon it.
15. Control of dross. It was decided to draw the serious attention of the Colonial Governments to this recommendation. The Committee appreciated, however, that there were some practical difficulties likely to be met in carrying it out.
16. Cure of Opium Smoking. The Committee had no comments to make on this.
17. Opium Revenue. SIR MALCOLM DELEVINGNE thought that this might possibly be a matter on which the Colonies should be given an indication beforehand of the view of His Majesty's Government. The recommendation was similar to the proposals that had been put forward here at the time of the Opium Conference in 1924.
Sir Gilbert GriNDLE suggested that the recommendations might be adopted as a matter of book-keeping only. He thought the Colonies would have no great objec- tion to it provided that the excess opium revenue could be expended on the ordinary social and sanitary services of the Colonies.
SIR JOHN CAMPBELL pointed out that the revenue of some of the Far Eastern Colonies was so largely derived from opium that it would be impossible to carry out the recommendations in the sense that opium revenue should be expended on services other than the normal services of the Government. At the present moment the