CO129-472 - Others - 1921 — Page 254

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consignment in question is required for legitimate

scientific or medicinal purposes.

13.

Experience has proved, however, that so

long as there is forthoosing from any sourse a supply

of morphine and similar highly-concentrated druĽB,

legislation is almost powerless to suppress their

use; as the highly lucrative contraband traffic in

those substances is one which cannot effectively

be checked by the ordinary preventive measures.

14. (IV). Relations with thẳng. The

regulations existing in the Far Rastern Dependencies

of the British Mapire are, in fact, considerably

more stringent then are actually required under the

text of Articles 15 to 19 of the Convention.

Imprisonment is

15. (V). Article 20.

prescribed as a penalty for contravention of many of

the clauses of the opium Ordinances in strait

Settlements and How. Konɛ, including the clauses

relating to illegal possession of the drug.

16.

Article 21.

The text of all legisla-

tion, and statistion of the trade, have been regularly

remitted home by the Governments of Hong Kong and the

Straits Settlements, and passed on from this Department to the Foreign Office.

C17.

Although the coming into force

of the 1912 Convention was postponed until the 10th January, 1920, legislative measures in many particulars exceeding, end at no point falling: mert of, its requirements have been enforced in Bonɛ Kong and the

Straits Settlements for several years prior to that

date. There is therefore no question of any failure

to comply with the terms of the Convention on the

part