CO129-384 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 51

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[23320]

CO 23533

(Roc

18 JUL 11 No. 1

[June 15.]

SECTION 1.

Sir,

Colonial Office to Foreign Office.-(Received June 15.)

Downing Street, June 14, 1911.

I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, with reference to letter from the Colonial Office of the 19th May, copy of a despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong (with enclosure) on the subject of the opium traffic.

I am, &c.

G. V. FIDDES.

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

Governor Sir F. Lagard to Mr. Harcourt.

(Confidential.) Sir,

Government House, Hong Kong, May 2, 1911. IN continuation of my confidential despatch of the 15th December last, I have the honour to forward copies of despatches, dated the 24th December and the 26th January, from His Majesty's Ambassador at Tokyo and His Majesty's cousul at Tamsui respectively.

2. With reference to paragraph 4 of my confidential despatch of the 10th January, it will be noted from these enclosures that the very large decrease, which Mr. Levy alleged to have taken place in the import of Indian opium to Formosa in the last three years, does not appear to be supported by the facts. I would also invite your attention to the very large import into Formosa of Turkish and Persian opium, which is, as you are aware, chiefly used for the manufacture of morphia.

3. The figures appear to be as follows :---

Year.

Indian.

Turkish.

Total, Persiao. Turkish and

Persian.

Total of all kinds.

Remarks.

1904

1905

1906

1907

212.183

1908

118,919

1909

1910

141,547 106,987

Ib.

Hb.

lb.

Ib.

lb. 192,000

224,533 224,533 416,533 117.883 60,331 95,237 155,568 272,901 267,517 71,206 146,193 217,899 484.916 145,270 145,270 557,400 7,500 200,605 208,105 322,024 504 210,212 215,216 356,763 120,488 135,989 265,427 372,414

First year of Indian Agreement with China.

I have, &c.

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

F. D. LUGARD.

Sir,

Sir C. MacDonald to Governor Sir F. Lagard.

Tokyo, December 24, 1910. WITH reference to my confidential despatch of the 26th ultimo, in regard to the alleged purchase by the Japanese Government of a large supply of Turkish opium in Constantinople and its subsequent shipment to Formosa, I have the honour to inform your Excellency that I am now in receipt of a reply from His Majesty's consul at Tamsui, whom I instructed to make enquiries into the matter, to the effect that, as far as he has been able to ascertain, no unusual quantities of opium have been recently imported into Formosa, that the import to that island is solely for local consumption, and that none is expected to be exported.

[2066 p-1]

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