607
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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13. It has been suggested that since presumably the smugglers are already exert- ing their utmost efforts to evade the preventive measures now in force in the Colony, the mere maintenance of the present degree of vigilance would continue to restrain smuggling within due limits, 1 fave put this suggestion to the Governor who, however, has replied that at present the profits of smuggling are limited by the existence of supplies of legitimate opium. If legitimate supplies were stopped the temptation to smuggle would be increased, as much larger profits could be made, especially as wealthy people who now use Government opium would be driven to use contraband. now, most of the large seizures of illicit opium are due to information given by persons With increased profits higher who have not been paid well enough to keep secret. bribes would be possible, and the Government could not compete without greatly increasing their scale of rewards, whereas if deprived of the opium revenue the Governor states that they could not afford to maintain the present scale.
Even
14. He goes on to say that there would, moreover, be thousands of small smugglers of Chinese opium. On account of the increased profits they could afford to bribe the Chinese Police and Revenue Officers. Even if these were incorruptible (which is not the case) evasion would be [? easy] owing to the facility of landing from boats at hundreds of places on the coast.
15. In the Governor's view, therefore, prohibition could only be made effective by giving the l'olice practically unlimited power to search persons and premises. The Chinese community has objected time and again to the methods of search now employed, * To introduce more drastic methods far more drastic than any used in this country. measures would cause such popular indignation that not only would every Chinese be in sympathy with the smugglers, but the satisfactory relations of the Government with the people would be greatly endangered.
16. A suggestion has been made, amounting in effect to the view that honour would be satisfied" by passing a prohibition law and by merely maintaining the pre- ventive service at its present level. If the Governor's view as to the effect of such a measure is correct (and in such a matter I submit that we must accept his view) this would be impossible. I cannot help anticipating that the law would be a dead letter that breaches would be flagrant and continuous, and that the prestige of the Govern- ment would suffer irreparable harm. Moreover, it is unlikely that our present critics would be satisfied, but would clamour for the very increases in the preventive measures which the Governor considers it would be dangerous to adopt.
17. I am aware that it is not suggested that prohibition should be brought into I submit, however, that if it force immediately but at some definite future date. is impossible now, no man can name a definite date when it will be possible. The Governor has declared that he will be ready to close the Government Monopoly so soon as China ceases to grow opium. When the Convention was signed in 1912, no one could have imagined that China would be growing more opium in 1924 than ever before in its history, and with China's affairs in the existing state of chaos, he would he a hold man who would venture to prophesy a definite date for the establishment of a stable Government in China, which would be able to suppress the growth of the poppy.
In these circumstances I cannot doubt that my colleagues will agree with me that it would be the height of folly, so far as Hong Kong is concerned, to do more at this stage, than to bind itself to the complete prohibition of the use of opium in the Colony so soon as China has shown to the satisfaction of an International Com- mission that she has permanently ceased to grow it on any considerable scale.
18. So satisfied is the Hong Kong Government that the Colony has gone as far as it is safe to go in the matter of the control of opium smoking, that the officer who has been sent home as the representative of that Government at the Conference in November, has suggested that the League of Nations should be invited to send out to the Far East an independent Commission, consisting of (say) an unprejudiced American and a Frenchman to examine the problem on the spot, and to visit not only British territories but also those of France, the Netherlands, and Portugal, as well as Siam and the Philippines. If the Governments of the other countries would not agres, Hong Kong would be prepared if necessary to pay the entire expenses of such a Commission.
19. I commend this suggestion to the careful consideration of my colleagues, as an indication of the good faith of the Hong Kong Government. I understand that
*This statement is made in the Report of the local Committee which the Governor endorses. We are not aware of the actual methods of search, but have no reason to doubt that they are exceptionally drastic.
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the Foreign Office are favourably impressed with the suggestion, as they consider that it would have considerable value from a propaganda point of view. In my opinion far too much attention has been unfairly focussed on the British Colonies in connexion with the opium question, largely through the honesty of the British Authorities (which is not reciprocated by Foreign Governments) in adinitting the (inevitable, in existing circumstances) imperfections of the present systems.
Malaya.
20. Malaya presents rather a different problem. Unlike Hong Kong it is not at the doors of China, and unlike Hong Kong it is an extensive territory, half the size of the United Kingdom. In these respects it resembles the Netherlands East Indies, but it differs from that country, in that of a total population of a million and a half, nearly three-quarters of a million (or 48 per cent. of the total) are Chinese; and in that a large proportion of that population being plantation and mining labour attracted from China, are constantly on the move.
21. In reply to my direct question the Governor has expressed the decided view that a policy of total prohibition would meet with no success whatever. Smuggling has not, as yet, developed into anything like the problem which it presents in Ilong Kong, but the Governor is convinced that if ill-considered restrictions are placed on the sale of Government opium before the time is ripe, it would be absolutely beyond the competence of the authorities to prevent the entry of, opium which (in the absence of any public opinion adverse to the practice of opium smoking) would inevitably be smuggled from China. The Malayan Committee have pointed out the remarkable facilities for smuggling presented by the 1,230 miles of coast line. There are innumer - able creeks running far inland and connecting with little known rivers and country roads and so to the main trunk roads and railways; hundreds of sparsely inhabited jungle islands and scores of rivers navigable for timber-laden junks and native craft, in any of which contraband can be concealed with little fear of detection.
22. The same reasons for not undertaking to adopt a policy of total prohibition at some definite future date apply with the same force to Malaya as to Hong Kong.
23 While unable to recommend this policy, the local Committee appointed to consider the matter in Malaya have, however, drawn up a very carefully thought-out scheme which, in the opinion of the Governor (while he admits that there is and must be some element of doubt as to the full success of any policy), promises a large measure of success in the object in view (viz., the gradual but ultimately effective suppression of opium smoking), whereas he considers that the policy of prohibition promises no success whatever.
24. The Committee have come to the conclusion that in the circumstances of British Malaya, eventual elimination of opium smoking can only be brought about by control over smokers individually, but they are emphatically of opinion for a variety of cogent reasons that any premature attempt to reduce the amount of opium freely placed on sale, would produce the most deplorable results, and that an immediate attempt to introduce a system of registration would be foredoomed to failure. They have, however, submitted proposals leading up to both registration and rationing in a measurable distance in time; as well as for removing some of the worst features of the present system.
25. At the date when the Governor's despatch was written he had not had time to obtain the opinions on the Committees' proposals of all the various Governments of British Malaya (as to the significance of this variety some notes will be found later on in this Memorandum) and the Governor was of opinion that they are so far-reaching in character that he could hardly expect that they would be welcomed by or even These Governments could, acceptable to all the different Governments concerned. however, be induced to put them into force, and I submit that they should be given a fair trial, in preference to a policy, which, in the opinion of all those whose know- ledge of local conditions invests them with authority to speak, would lead to a disastrous failure with lasting adverse effects on the country.
26. The only other territories which are concerned in the matters to be dealt with at the Conference are the State of North Borneo and Sarawak. These are both independent States under British protection, and while in accordance with the charter of the British North Borneo Company, and an agreement in the case of Sarawak, His Majesty's Government controls the foreign relations of both States, it has undertaken not to interfere with the internal administration of either. This undertaking is absolute in the case of Sarawak, though in the case of North Borneo His Majesty's Secretary of State may in certain circumstances make suggestions in accordance with which the Company must act.