CO129-471 - Public Offices - 1921 — Page 347

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the Sanitary Laws of Japan) which states definitely and concisely that "opium shall be offered for sale

for medical purposes only "; but the Commercial Depart- ment of the Japanese Foreign Office contend that their cumulative effect will, in fact, be to limit the manufacture, sale and use of those drugs to legitimate purposes.

The general tenor of these regulations, and more particularly article 30 of the regulations for the sale and treatment of medicines, would seem to suggest that control is effective in the direction of limiting to legitimate purposes the actual use of morphine and cocaine in Japan: but with regard to manufacture and sale no additional light is thrown on the regulations contained in Sir Charles Eliot's despatch No. 622 of the 29th December, 1920. It may well be, as is contended, that the effect will be to limit sale, manufacture and use to legitimate purposes; but this is not immediately plain to the eye. It would appear to depend somewhat on the spirit in which the authorities concerned interpret and administer the regulations.

That the Japanese Government intend to comply with the spirit of the Opium Convention is certainly suggested by the tone of the notification issued by the Ministry of the Interior to the local authorities in Japan, and referred to in Sir Charles Eliot's despatch No. 622 of the 29th December, 1920, and by Imperial Ordinance No. 200

of 1914.

The general purport of the regulations contained in Sir Charles Eliot's despatch No. 622 mentioned above seems to correspond with that of Part III of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

Enclosure 2 in No. 1,

OPIUM CONVENTION,

Notification issued in December 1920 by the Ministry of the Interior to Local Officials in Japan.

(Translation.)

(Published in the "Jiji Shimpo" of the 21st December, 1920.)

AS a result of the Opium Convention it has become necessary to exercise control in connection with the manufacture and haudling of articles coming under the categories given below. The necessary regulations for control are published to-day in the ordinance (No. 41 of the 6th December, 1920) issued by this Ministry. As regards patent medicines, in the case of articles in use in Japan proper, it is considered that these will still for the most part be controlled by the Patent Medicine Law, but as regards the export abroad or to Japanese dominions of patent medicines, in accordance with the working of Imperial Ordinance No. 200 of 1914, in order to give full effect to the purport of the convention, from the 1st January, 1921, persons proposing to export abroad or to Japanese dominions patent medicines coming under this notification shall furnish particulars similar to the particulars to be entered in the applications for permits according to the provisions of article 2 of the said Ordinance No. 41, and shall lodge applications beforehand accompanied by certificates showing that the consignees in respect of the import abroad or to Japanese dominions have obtained the sanction of the authorities concerned at the place of import abroad or in Japanese dominons.

The necessary measures will be taken, according to circumstances, against persons breaking these regulations, in addition to a prohibition to export abroad or to Japanese dominions the goods in question under the provisions of article 3 of the Imperial ordinance above mentioned.

In cases where there is deemed to be no objection to the applications above mentioned, advice to that effect shall be sent to the customs at the proper port of export.*

It is hoped that these matters will be so handled as to leave no room for regret as regards the carrying out of the duties arising from the convention :-

Morphine and kindred salts.

Cocaine and kindred salts.

Diacetyl-morphine.

Ethyl-morphine, codeine, and kindred salts.

Articles found on analysis to contain morphiue or ethyl-morphine in excess of 2 parts in every 1,000, or diacetyl-morphine or cocaine in excess of 1 part in every 1,000, or codeine in excess of 6 parts in every 1,000. Articles considered by the Minister of the Interior to be of the same efficacy as those above mentioned.

* Includes to places abroad and Japanese dependencies.

In any further communication

on this subject, please gypte

No F27/14/15/10

and address-

but to

not lo muy person by nanje,

"The Under-Secretary of State," Foreign Office,

London, S. W. 1.

bons.

46055

346

ter 14 SEP 21

THE Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his

compliments to the Under-Secretary of State for the

Colonies

and, by direction of the Secretary of State, transmits herewith cop of the under-mentioned paper.

From

Foreign Office,

Sep.10.

192 /

Reference to previous correspondence:

F.0. letter F552/15/10 of Mar. 9.

Description of Enclosure.

Name and Date.

Subject.

Control of the manufacture,

of morphine

F.M. Ambassador only and use

Lini

·Japan.

(Tokio) No.307 of June 20.

Similar letter sent to

$4.0. 9.0.

B.AT.

14-F.O.P. 1000 5/21 (8888)

2.O.T.