CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 205

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[17527]

No. 1.

203

[May 17.]

SECTION 1. CO

18596

RECO REG 18 JUN 10,

Colonial Office to Foreign Office.-(Received May 17.)

Sir,

Downing Street, May 14, 1910. WITH reference to your letter of the 12th January, I am directed by the Earl of Crewe to transmit to you, to be laid before Secretary Sir Edward Grey, the accompanying copy of a despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong, with regard to the prohibition or restriction of the importation of opium.

8. Sir Edward Grey will observe that Sir F. Lugard shares the view of the Governor of the Straits Settlements (see the Colonial Office letter of the 3rd May), that it is very desirable that action should be taken to prohibit the export of morphine from the United Kingdom.

3. It will also be observed that Sir F. Lugard desires to be informed if any countries not included in the enclosed notifications prohibit the import and export of morphine and other derivatives of opium.

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

I am, &c.

H. W. JUST.

Governor Sir F. Lugard to the Earl of Crewe,

Government House, Hong Kong, My Lord,

March 30, 1910. WITH reference to your Lordship's despatch of the 22nd January, I have the honour to transmit, for your Lordship's information, the enclosed copies of notifications published in the "Government Gazette," giving the names of the countries which prohibit or restrict the importation of opium, dross opium, morphine, or compounds of opium. These notifications are based on information contained in the report of the International Opium Commission, and on information obtained from the consuls for Japan and the United States of America in this colony.

*

2. Your Lordship will observe, by reference to resolution 4 of the resolutions adopted by the International Commission, that the intention of the commission was that all countries should co-operate in stopping the export of opium, its alkaloids, derivatives, and preparations. Without co-operation in preventing export of these drugs by countries which produce them, the efforts of a country like Hong Kong, which is merely a distributing centre, must be greatly hampered.

I understand that all the morphine that reaches Hong Kong comes either from Germany or England, and as it does not seem reasonable that this Government should take steps to stop the export of morphine and other derivatives of opium to Kiautschow, the import to which is prohibited, unless Germany takes steps to stop the export of these drugs from Germany to countries which prohibit their import, I have not thought it desirable to include the German colony of Kiautschow in these notifications. As I an not aware that any of the drugs mentioned are exported to this colony from the countries mentioned in the notifications, their names have been included.

I notice from your Lordship's despatch of the 8th February that no steps have yet been taken by His Majesty's Government to stop the export of morphine to China and to this colony, and I venture to express the hope that action may soon be taken in the matter.

3. With reference to the third paragraph of your Lordship's despatch, I have to observe that if the suggestion of reciprocity which underlies the resolution of the International Commission above referred to is to be acted upon, then the names of those countries only which prohibit the export of the drugs in question are required. any countries not included in the enclosed notifications (being producers) prohibit

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