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3. It was, therefore, decided to seek the consent of the other parties to the Agreement, to the proposal that a special exception should be made in the case of Sarawak, and that any arrangement for the supply of prepared opium from the Govern- ment factory at Singapore to the authorities of that territory should not be regarded as a breach of the provisions of Article 6 (1) of the Agreement. While it was under- stood that the Government of North Borneo did not desire for the present to obtain supplies of chandu from Singapore, it was considered desirable, to provide for possible future contingencies, to include the State of North Borneo in the proposed exception.

4. Those foreign Powers which are parties to the Agreement have now been approached in this sense, and all have agreed to the proposed exception covering both territories. Lord Passfield will be glad to learn that the Government of India, who are also a party to the Agreement, concur in this arrangement.

5. Copies of this letter are being sent to the Home Office and Foreign Office.

C. 73017/1/30 [No. 44].

SIE,

No. 264.

I am, &c.,

WALTER D. ELLIS.

INDIA OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

India Office, Whitehall,

London, 8.W.1, 27th November, 1930. WITH reference to the letter from this Office of the 30th October, 1930* (your reference dated 23rd October, 1930t), I am directed by the Secretary of State for India to state, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, that a telegram (copy enclosedt), has been received from the Government of India, intimating that they agree to the proposal that the prepared opium required by Sarawak should be manufactured in the Straits Settlements factory at Singapore.

I am, &c.,

E. J. TURNER.

299

desire the extension to Sarawak of the existing arrangement whereby, for convenience and efficiency of administration, the whole of the supply of prepared opium for con- sumption in the British Possessions and Protectorates, in the Malay Peninsula and the State of Brunei in the Island of Borneo is manufactured in the Straits Settlements factory at Singapore.

2. It was felt, however, that, while the proposed extension was, so far as con- cerns the provisions of Article 7 of the International Opium Convention signed at The Hague on the 23rd January, 1912, covered by the reservation made by the British Delegation and contained in the enclosed extract* from the official minutes of the fourteenth meeting of The Hague Conference on the 22nd December, 1911, it could not be claimed as being in strict accordance with Article 6 (1) of the Geneva Opium Agreement of 1925, since that Article explicitly prohibits the export of prepared opium from any possession or territory into which it is imported for the purpose of smoking.

3. It was, therefore, decided to secure the consent of the other signatories of the Agreement to the proposal that a special exception should be made in the case of Sarawak, and that any arrangement for the supply of prepared opium from the Government factory at Singapore to the authorities of that territory should not be While it regarded as a breach of the provisions of Article 6 (1) of the Agreement. was understood that the Government of North Borneo did not desire for the present to obtain supplies of chandu from Singapore, it was considered desirable, in order to provide for possible future contingencies, to include the State of North Borneo in the proposed exception.

4. All those Governments which are parties to the Agreement have now been approached in this sense, and all have agreed to the proposed exception covering both territories. It will, therefore, be possible at any future date, if it is considered desir- able, to arrange for the supply of chandu from the Government factory at Singapore to the Government of North Borneo.

I am, &c.,

WALTER D. ELLIS.

C. 73017/1/30 [No. 45].

No. 265.

C. 78017/1/30 [No. 55],

No. 267.

. PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference

C.O.882/11

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON |

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

BORNEO. (SARAWAK).

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE BRITISH AGENT. (Sent 12.30 p.m., 9th December, 1930.)

TELEGRAM.

No. 5. SARAWAK. Consent of all Governments parties to 1925 Geneva Agree- ment has been obtained to proposal that supply of prepared opium from Singapore factory to Sarawak or North Borneo shall not be regarded as breach of provisions of Article 6 (1). I therefore approve of arrangements being made accordingly with Sarawak Government, who should be informed that after a date to be mutually agreed upon between the Governments of the Straits Settlements, Sarawak, and India they will be expected to obtain all supplies from Singapore factory.-Passfield,

C. 73017/1/30 (No. 46].

SIR,

No. 266.

COLONIAL OFFICE to BRITISH NORTH BORNEO COMPANY.

Downing Street, 13th December, 1930.

I AM directed by Lord Passfield to request you to inform the Court of Directors that, with a view to the better prevention of smuggling and generally to the increased efficacy of control of the consumption of prepared opium, the Government of Sarawak

Not printed here.

* C. 73017/1/30 [No. 40]: not printed.

† No. 263.

SIR,

INDIA OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE. [Answered by No. 274.]

India Office, Whitehall, London, S.W.1, 24th December, 1930.

IN continuation of this Office letter dated the 27th November last,t I am directed to forward a copy of a letter from the Government of India regarding the proposed diversion of the Sarawak quota of Indian opium to Singapore. Mr. Secretary Benn presumes that the Straits Settlements Government will find no difficulty in complying with the Government of India's request regarding the amend- ment of import certificates in respect of opium destined for the manufacture of He would be glad if this presumption might be con- prepared opium for Sarawak. firmed. He would also be glad to learn the date from which it is proposed that the new arrangements should take effect, and what alterations, if any, fall to be made in the quantities of Indian opium available for export to the Straits Settlements and Sarawak under the Government of India's progressive reduction scheme, on account of existing stocks of prepared opium in Sarawak or other factors.

I am, &c.,

E. J. TURNER, Secretary, Economic and Overseas Department.

*Not printed here.

† No. 264.

Page 60Page 61

732

SIR,

300

Enclosure in No. 267.

Government of India.

Finance Department (Central Revenues}.

New Delhi, the 19th November, 1930. Opium, prepared Sarawak Supply by-Straits Settlements-Your

letter dated the 30th October, 1930.

In reply to the letter quoted above, I am directed to say that in the circum- stances stated the Government of India are prepared to consent to the diversion of the Sarawak quota of Indian opium to Singapore, there to be manufactured for supply to Sarawak on the understanding that each consignment to Singapore under this arrangement is covered by an import certificate of the Straits Settlements Govern- ment, in which the usual footnote has been amended so as to indicate that the opium is required for the purpose of manufacturing prepared opium for use in Sarawak under Government restrictions, pending complete suppression, and that the Govern- ment of Sarawak has undertaken or will be asked to undertake that it will not be re- exported thence.

I have, &c.,

A. TOTTENHAM, Joint Secretary to the Government of India.

His Majesty's Under-Secretary of State for India,

Economic and Overseas Department,

India Office, Whitehall,

London, S.W.1.

C. 73017/1/30 [No. 57].

No. 268.

BORNEO (SARAWAK).

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE BRITISH AGENT. [Answered by Nos. 270 and 273.]

Downing Street, 14th January, 1931.

(No. 1.) SIR,

WITH reference to my telegram No. 5 of the 9th December last,* I have the honour to transmit a copy of a letter† from the Secretary of State for India regarding the supply of prepared opium from the Government factory at Singapore to Sarawak.

I should be glad to receive by telegraph your early observations on the letter.

I have, &c.,

301

Peninsula and the State of Brunei in the Island of Borneo is manufactured in the Straits Settlements factory at Singapore.

2. At the same time His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have wished to provide for the possibility that it might similarly be desirable at some future date to extend the arrangement also to the State of North Borneo.

3. His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have had under considera- tion the question whether such an extension to Sarawak and North Borneo is per- missible having regard to the provisions of Article 7 of the International Opium Convention signed at The Hague on the 23rd January, 1912, and Article 6 of the International Opium Agreement signed at Geneva on the 11th February, 1925.

4. In regard to Article 7 of The Hague Convention, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom consider that the reservation made by the British Delegation and contained in the official minutes of the fourteenth meeting of The Hague Con- ference on the 22nd December, 1911, covers the proposed extension in respect of Sarawak as well as of North Borneo, both these territories being regarded as part of the British Empire within the meaning of the phrase as used in the said reservation. 5. In regard, however, to Article 6 (i) of the Geneva Agreement, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have realized that the proposed extension cannot be claimed as being in strict accordance with it since the Article explicitly prohibits the export of prepared opium from any possession or territory, into which opium, is imported for the purpose of smoking, nor could it be held to be covered by the reservation made by His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom in regard to the signature of the Geneva Agreement and contained in their letter to the Secretary General of the League of Nations of 30th July, 1925, which refers only to existing arrangements" for the supply of prepared opium by the Straits Settlements Monopoly. 6. His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have therefore sought the consent of the co-signatories of the Agreement to the proposal that a special exception should be made in the case of Sarawak and North Borneo, and that any arrangement for the supply of prepared opium from the Government factory at Singapore to the authorities of these territories should not be regarded as a breach of the provisions of Article 6 (i) of the Agreement. It has been at the same time explained to the co- signatories that Sarawak and North Borneo are within the sphere of the Governor of the Straits Settlements in his capacity as British Agent for Borneo and that the proposed extension of the existing arrangement to cover these territories is such as was envisaged in the British Declaration at The Hague in 1911; that, moreover, the competent authorities in the Straits Settlements and Sarawak are fully satisfied that the new arrangement will undoubtedly result in a greatly increased efficacy of control over the consumption of opium and will thereby further the object of the Geneva Agreement.

7. His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have now received the assent of all the co-signatories of the Geneva Agreement to the proposed arrangement I am to and are taking steps to bring it into force as regards Sarawak forthwith. add that should you desire copies of the notes received from the other contracting parties on this point Mr. Henderson will be pleased to forward them to you.

PASSFIELD.

I am, &c.,

C. W. ORDE.

C. 83017/1/31 [No. 2]:

No. 269.

FOREIGN OFFICE to THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

(Copy received in Colonial Office 20th January, 1931.)

Foreign Office, SW.1, 15th January, 1931.

SIR,

I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Henderson to inform you that, with a view to securing the advantages of the increased efficiency of control which are afforded by the concentration of manufacture at the Singapore factory and the special plant avail- able there for packing the sealed tubes, the Government of Sarawak have desired His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to extend as early as possible, to embrace Sarawak, the existing arrangement whereby the whole of the supply, of pre- pared opium for consumption in the British Possessions and Protectorates in the Malay

* No. 265.

↑ No. 267.

C. 83017/1/31 [No. 5j.

No. 270.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT to THE SECRETARY

OF STATE.

(Received 9.53 a.m., 25th March, 1931.)

TELEGRAM.

[Answered by No. 271.]

25TH MARCH. No. 54. Referring to your despatch Borneo (Sarawak) No. 1

of 14th January, 1931.* No Indian opium will be required during the current year

* No. 268.