CO129-467 - Governor Sir Stubbs & Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1921 [1-5] — Page 340

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4.

The answer to the last question makes it

clear that there is no "unfair" profit made by Chinese

officials in the sense in which you use the word, as

this Government has given no guarantee to reduce

automatically its sale of opium. It may however be of

interest to your Association to know that of the illicit

prepared opium seized in the Colony during 1920, no

less than 92.1% consisted of opium which had been grown

and boiled in China.

With regard to the last paragraph of your

letter, I have to inform you that the provision

permitting a traveller to take a small supply of opium

I

for consumption on board ship is still in force.

cannot agree that its rescission is necessary, or that

this would have the smallest effect in actual practice.

The Dangerous Drugs Act applies of course only to the

United Kingdom.

I am, etc.,

(SGT.) CLAUD SEVERN.

Colonial Secretary.