This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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17590
Rrop II JUN 10. [May 4.]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[15369]
No. 1.
SECTION 1.
Colonial Office to Foreign Office.-(Received May 4.)
Sir,
Downing Street, May 3, 1910. WITH reference to the letter from this department of the 8th February, I am directed by the Earl of Crewe to transmit to you, for any observations that Sir E. Grey may wish to offer, the enclosed copy of a despatch from the Governor of the Straits Settlements with regard to the trade in morphine and cocaine.
I am, &c.
Enclosure in No. 1.
H. BERTRAM COX.
Governor Sir J. Anderson to the Earl of Crewe.
(Confidential.) My Lord,
Singapore, March 30, 1910. IN the correspondence as to China trade enclosed in your Lordship's Confidential despatch of the 3rd instant, I observe from a letter from the Board of Trade dated the 28th January that pending a decision as to a further international conference, it is not contemplated to take any action as regards restricting the export of morphine from the United Kingdom.
2. I earnestly trust that this matter will not be lost sight of Whatever may be the evils of opium smoking, the evils resulting from morphine and cocaine injection are immeasurably greater in intensity and extent, so far as the numbers physically and morally ruined by it are concerned. In spite of the activity of the police and revenue officers, and the systematic banishment of professional injectors and dealers in these drugs, we are, I regret to say, making no real progress towards an effective diminution in the evil.
3. The raising of the price of opium of course militates strongly against our efforts to combat morphine, and as a further increase in the retail price is contemplated at an early date, I hope that His Majesty's Government will avail themselves of any opportunity for arriving at an international agreement for restricting the trade in morphine and cocaine.
I have, &c.
JOHN ANDERSON.
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