CO129-373 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 28

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

27

OPIUM

CONFIDENTIAL.

[27983]

No. 1.

2.914

[August 2.]

REC? SECTION 4G & SEP 10

Sir,

Colonial Office to Foreign Office.-(Received August 2.)

Downing Street, July 30, 1910. WITH reference to your letter of the 13th May, I am directed by the Earl of Crewe to transmit to you, to be laid before Secretary Sir E. Grey, the enclosed copy of a confidential despatch from the Governor of the Straits Settlements respecting the illicit importation into the colony of morphia aud cocaine from Germany.

2. 1 am to suggest that, if Sir E. Grey sees no objection, the matter should be brought to the notice of the German Government.

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

I am, &c.

C. P. LUCAS.

Governor Sir J. Anderson to the Earl of Crewe.

(Confidential.) My Lord,

Government House, Singapore, June 20, 1910. WITH reference to previous correspondence on the subject of the illicit importation of morphia into this colony, closing with Lord Elgin's confidential despatch of the 26th July, 1906, I have the honour to forward, for your Lordship's consideration, a copy of a letter from the superintendent of the Monopolies department, drawing attention to the very large traffic still being carried on in morphia and cocaine. The specimens of the labels, which were enclosed in the superintendent's letter, are not forwarded, as the drugs seized have been sent to the Crown Agents for disposal, with letters dated the 11th May, 2nd and 9th June, 1910, and no other specimens are available here.

2. In the course of the enquiries which resulted in the communications to Lord Elgin in 1906, the police in Penang found that at that time morphia, bearing the label of E. Merck of Darmstadt, was being introduced into the colony, and it would appear from the information now available that the connection of that firm with this illicit traffic has been continuous since that date.

3. In view of the fifth resolution recorded in the proceedings of the 1909 Inter- national Opium Commission which met at Shanghai, your Lordship may consider that the matter is one which may be referred to the Government of Germany through the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and which should be laid before the Opium Commission if it should meet again.

I have, &c.

JOHN ANDERSON.

Sir,

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

Mr. Baddeley to the Colonial Secretary, Straits Settlements.

Government Monopolies Department, Singapore, June 1, 1910.

I HAVE the honour to draw your attention to some features of the very large illicit trade being done in cocaine and morphia.

2. Since the beginning of the year the preventive service in Singapore has seized 9,168 bottles of cocaine, each containing oz., and 259 packets of morphia.

3. The engineers of steam-ship "Hong Moh" recently discovered on board their

ship, while in Penang harbour, 3,848 bottles of cocaine.

4. The cocaine is packed in packets of eight bottles, the vast majority of the packets being marked "E. Merck," of Darmstadt; but amongst the bottles scized on

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