CO129-451 - Public Offices - 1918 — Page 221

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[205069]

218

[October 26.]

C C

SECTION 1.

€290

No. 1.

Sir O. Greene to Mr. Balfour.-(Received October 26.) (No 606. Confidential.) Sir,

¡REC REC 19 JAN 18)

Tokyo, September 12, 1917. I HAVE the honour to report that some amendments have recently been made to the legislation existing in this country for the control of the manufacture and sale of opium. As this subject may be of interest to His Majesty's Government in connection with the question of restricting the export t morphia and its derivatives from the United Kingdon, which was last referred to in my despatch No. 444 of the 9th July last, I have caused the newly issued regulations to be translated in the Embassy, and I now beg to forward berewith:-

The opin law;

2. The regulations for its enforcement, both revised up to date; and

3. The regulations controlling the sale by the Government of opium for pharmaceutical purposes.

You will see that the effect of these amendments is to divide opium into two classes, viz., for medicinal and pharmaceutical use respectively.

The existing regulations for the enforcement of the opium law have been restricted to the control of opium for medicinal use, while a new set of rules has been drawn up applying to opium for pharmaceutical use, These latter rules appear to be of some importance as they will enable the Japanese authorities to exercise a stricter supervision over the manufacture and sle of those alkaloids and derivatives of opium which are so largely sent from this country to the Manchurian market.

The words underlined in the translatious indicate the amendments.

(Confidential,

At first sight it would appear as if the Japanese Government had issued these regulations with a view to checking the immoral traffic in this drug, but there is a further possibility to which I feel it my duty to draw your attention, even though I hope I may be entirely mistaken.

For some time past, in fact almost since the beginning of the war, there has been a great movement in connection with the manufacture of chemicals in this country. The success attained has been consi lerable, and many drugs and medicines which were tormerly imported from Germany can now be satisfactorily produced in Japan.

Attempts have recently been made to manufacture morphine, and it is said that cocaine is also to be attempted. For the last few years Japanese dealers have been paying high prices to British manufacturers for morphine and its derivatives, and it is in accordance with the general trend of Japanese commercial ideas that an attempt should be made to encourage the manufacture of these drugs in Japan. In these circumstances the Japanese chemical manufacturers would naturally ask the Japanese Government to take the necessary steps to supervise the manufacture, as, opium being a Government wouoply, it would not be possible for any arm to import or sell opium for this purpose without Government permission. The dealers would be all the more encouraged to take this action by the fear that public opinion in England might bring about the prohibition of the export of morphine and its derivatives, and thus deprive them of the profits which they are now earning.

It is true that the new regulations govern the manufacture of opium for pharmaceutical purposes, but it will be noticed that there is nothing which prohibits trans ctions in morphine or cocaine.

It is to be hoped that I am entirely wrong in my conclusions, but I venture to think that no barm will be done by a reiteration of the request made on the 9th July last, to which there has so far been no reply, that the Imperial Japanese Government will co-operate beartily with His Majesty's Government in their attempt to suppress the illegitimate trade in morphia and its derivatives.

I have, &c.

(2741 cc-1]

Printed in italics.

CONYNGHAM GREENE.

B