603
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.882/11
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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to their acceptance. Some of the suggested measures are already operative in whole or in part in the British Possessions, but the most important from the point of view of bringing about a gradual reduction in consumption, viz., the proposals for rationing and registration, are not.
When the decision to convoke the Conference had been taken by the League, it was decided that the Governments of the Colonies mainly concerned, viz., Hong Kong, Malaya and North Borneo should be asked to appoint Committees, on which the Chinese community should be represented, to consider and report on the suggestions and subject generally. The reports have now been received, and it becomes necessary for the Government to decide what policy is to be adopted by the British delegates at the Conference next November.
The question is not an easy one. The present position is far from satisfactory. To put it shortly, we are not carrying out our obligations under Chapter 11 of the Convention. Other countries, it is true, are in the same, or even a worse, position. In all the British Possessions in which opium smoking still continues, claborate systen.s These have had excellent results up to a point, and of control are in operation. brought about a considerable reduction in the local consumption. It is admitted, however, that the systems have produced their full results in this direction and that no further reduction in consumption is to be expected. The Government cannot therefore rely on the normal working of these systems of control to bring about the ultimate suppression to which they are pledged by the Opium Convention.
The position is complicated further in two ways. With the abolition of the export of opium to China and with the increasing stringency of the control over the opium traffic in the countries where smoking is still permitted. an enormous smuggling trade has sprung up in the Far East, in which our Possessions are involved. Ample supplies for the contraband trade are available from Persia and latterly from China where the cultivation of opium has been revived on an enormous seale. Many hundreds of tons of opium are again being produced every year in China, and large quantities are being snuggled into neighbouring territories."
The Government of Hong Kong estimates that only about half of the opium smoked in the Colony is Government monopoly opium, the other half is smuggled.
As long as the source of supply remains uncontrolled smuggling will continue, however excellent the Preventive Services maintained by the Colonies.
The relapse of China affects our Colonies in another way. Practically the whole of the opium smoking in British Possessions is among the Chinese immigrants, and with the resumption of the practice of opium smoking in China, a much larger number of the Chinese immigrants are bringing the habit with them. This particularly affects Hong Kong which has a large floating population of Chinese and a very large traffic with the mainland, some ten to twelve thousand Chinese passing daily. On the other hand, it is interesting to note that in Malaya it appears that the majority of Chinese smokers commenced the habit there.
The other complication is that in some of our Possessions the profits of the opium monopoly form an important part of the general revenues of the Colony. This is par- ticularly so in the Straits Settlements and the Malay States, where the monopoly This would make it difficult-apart contributes about 50 per cent. of the revenue. from other difficulties-to bring about suddenly any drastic change, though it is an inpleasant feature of our position and one which exposes the British Government to many attacks in the United States of America and elsewhere.
4. There are two possible methods by which the suppression of the practice of opium smoking may be brought about.
One is to limit the use of opium for smoking to existing smokers by the introduction of a system of registration or licensing. No licences are issued to new smokers, and as the existing smokers die off, the practice disappears. This is the policy adopted by the Japanese Government in Formosa and the Burmese Government in Lower Burmah, The process of reduction can be accelerated by combining with registration a system of rationing.
The other method is to prohibit absolutely all smoking after a fixed date. This is the policy adopted by the United States Government in the Philippines.
The first method-that of registration and rationing--was embodied in the sug- gestions which were put forward in the Resolution of the Advisory Committee of the League and which the Colonial Governments were asked to consider. The results of their consideration are not encouraging. The Hong Kong Government declares that in the circumstances of the Colony both registration and rationing are impracticable. Nor has it any constructive proposals of its own to put forward. The Straits Settle- ments and Malay States cannot accept registration and rationing but they suggest a
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scheme for working towards them which in the course of some years may make their adoption practicable. North Borneo would agree to some form of rationing but not registration.
5. It does not seem possible or desirable to force upon the Colonial Coveruments measures which they believe to be unworkable and for whose administration they would have to be responsible. This being so, it appears that there are three alternative courses open to the British Government. They are:—
(i) Frankly to give up the attempt at gradual suppression of opium smoking in the British Possessions and to be content with maintaining the present systems of control for what they are worth on the ground that the relapse of China has entirely altered the position and made it hopeless to attempt to keep the Chinese immigrants from smoking. This course would be extremely difficult to defend. The obligations under- taken by the Parties to the Convention in Chapter II of the Convention were not made in anyway dependent on simultaneous action by China in the suppression of the growth and use of opium in China, and though the difficulty in the way of enforcing prohibition which is created by the revival of the production and use of opium in China is a very serious one, it is diilicult to argue that it justifies an abandonient of our pledges.
(1) To proceed with such minor improvements in the existing systems as can be suggested (e.g., those suggested in the report of the Malaya Committee) and at the same time to dissociate the profits of the opium monopolies from the revenues of the Colonies and to use them for humanitarian and social purposes outside the ordinary sphere of Government activities, e... medical provision, improvement of housing, higher education, and the like. This would at any rate relieve us from the reproach of living on the profits of vice.
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(iii) To announce that prohibition of the use of opium for smoking will be brought into force after a certain fixed period. Different periods could be fixed if desired for different Colonies according to local circumstances. The Hong Kong Government, if they have to suppress the traffic, would prefer to do it at a stroke. Their finances are extremely prosperous and the opium revenue is of no consequence to them. Malay. which depends very largely on the opiuni monopoly for its revenue, would need a fairly long period in which to put its finances into order and tap fresh sources of revenue.
6. The Home Office are strongly in favour of the latter source. Our position the present time is an equivocal and an embarrassing one. The British Government has been specially active in the execution of the Opium Convention and has brought a good deal of pressure to bear on other countries to enforce the Convention effectively. while at the same time it has to be admitted that Great Britain itself is not carrying out its obligations under Chapter II of the Convention and moreover is actually deriving large revenues from the traffic which it is under the obligation to suppress. It is * needless to say that in the circumstances we are bitterly attacked in the United States of America and other countries. The adoption of a policy of definite prohibition after a fixed period would place Great Britain in a much stronger position internationally and would produce a very good effect in America which holds very strong views on the opium traffic. It would also be welcomed by a large body of opinion in this country. The League of Nations Union has just declared in favour of prohibiting all exports of opium except for medicinal purposes.
It is admitted of course that there will be difficulties in giving effect to the policy of prohibition. It will be unpopular no doubt among the large body of smokers, especially in the coolie class; and the representative of the Straits Settlements and Malay States fears it might lead to actual disturbances. There seems no reason however to suppose that the Colonial Governments will not be able to deal with the situation. Ample notice would be given and the Governments could be given a free hand to carry out the change in the way they thought best, provided the Home Government was assured that the Colonial Government was actively preparing for the final step and was in the meantime taking steps to eliminate the opium revenue from its normal budget.
It must also be admitted that legal prohibition would not mean the extinction of the practice. Smuggling will go on, as it goes on in the Philippines to-day and every- where else where the opium traffic is controlled, and as long as China grows vast quantities of opium and Turkey and Persia exercise no control over their exports, there will always be an ample supply. The Colonial Governments would not be asked, however, to do more than they are doing already to prevent smuggling. Complete prevention is impossible—the admirable Preventive Service of Hong Kong, even under the present system, cannot prevent huge quantities of opium being smuggled into the Colony,