CO129-343 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 187

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object in establishing the Opium Farm there had been to

regulate the supply for the local Chinese population, but

that since the extension of the Kowloon territory Hongkong

prepared opium had found its way in large quantities into

China and could now be purchased in tins bearing the Opium

Farmer's "chop" even as far north as Tientsin and Peking.

The Ministers laid special stress on effective measures

being taken to stop this illicit importation which, if al-

lowed to go on unchecked, would neutralise the effect of

the Opium Regulations in China itself.

A similar request would be made to the Portuguese Gov-

erment for co-operation on the part of Macao.

Opium from the Dutch colonies was szuggled into the

island of Hainan and opium from Tongking crossed the Chin-

ese frontiers of Yunnan and Kuangsi. It would be neces-

sary to approach the French and Dutch Ministers with a

view to having a stop put to this traffic and the Foreign

Representatives would have to be consulted generally with

regard to the measures of inspection to

be enforced in

the foreign settlements and concessions in China, but the

Chinese Government relied upon Great Britain taking the

lead in the movement.

Morphia

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