CO129-386 - Public Offices & Others - 1911 — Page 12

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4. So far as our information goes, the chief firms exporting cocaine to this country are Messrs. E. Morck & Co. of Darmstadt, Messrs. John Dieder Bieber & Co. of Borlin, Messrs. Egomont Heydorn & Co. and Edward Bruck. ner & Co. of Hamburg, and Messrs. Burroughs Wellcome & Co., Burgoyne Burbidges & Co. and Lorimer & Co. of London. Nearly all the drug imported into Rangoon is manufactured by the firm first named. Formerly cocaine used to be brought into Rangoon by steamer via Calcutta and Bombay; but the traffic appears to have since been partially diverted to the Singapur Penang route, and consignments of cocaine are said to have come also from China and Japan, and by direct vessels from England. Packets are hidden in fruit baskets, cases of matches and other cargo, and in the coal bunkers, holds and other parts of the vessels. The drug is most commonly smuggled ashore by lascars and firemen, but European members of the crews have also been detected in the act of smuggling and prosecuted to conviction.

5. These facts fully illustrate the difficulties of the situation in Burma; and that the position in other parts of India is more or less similar will be seen from the extracts from the last Excise Administration Reports from Bengal aud Bombay which are also enclosed. In these circumstances we are convinced that our efforts towards the suppression of the cocaine habit in this country will be infructuous unless something is done to restrict the export of the drug and its congeners from the chief manufacturing countries (viz., Germany and the United Kingdom). We are aware that His Majesty's Government propose to bring the matter before the forthcoming Opium Conference at the Hague: but in view of the emergent and exceptional situation which has arisen in India, we consider it desirable that Your Lordship should be placed in possession of the above information, in case any opportunity for taking action should occur in advance of that Conference.

We have the honour to be,

MY LORD,

Your Lordship's most obedient, humble Servants,

HARDINGE OF PENSHURST.

O'M, CREAGH.

YUH¬JLANDWOOD WYNSON,

J. L. JENKINS.

K. W. CARLYLE.

8. H. BUTLER.

SAIYID ALI IMAM.

W. H. CLARK.

Schedule of papers.

1. Extract paragraph 43 of the Report on the Administration of the Excise Department in Burma for the year 1909-10.

2. Extract paragraph 6 of a letter from the Financial Com- missioner, Burma, to the Government of Burma, No. 603-5R-95, dated the 15th August 1910.

3. Extract paragraph 5 of the Resolution by the Government

of Burma, No. 1-0-8, dated the 25th September 1910.

4. Extract paragraph 87 of the Bengal Excise Administration

Report for the year 1909-10.

5. Extract paragraph 57 of the Bombay Excise Administrat-

ion Report for the year 1909-10.

6. Extract paragraph 10 of the Resolution by the Govern-

ment of Bombay No. 629, dated the 21st January 1911.

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