CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 145

MINUTES

MINUTES.

NOT TO BE WRITTEN

ON THIS SIDE.

A

any

further communication on

this subject, please quote

No. F 908/51/57.

and

Fest,

but to--

not to any person by name,

The Under-Secretary of State,"

Foreign Office,

London, S. W. L.

C.O

18347

REC

REU 13 APK 23

sir,

FOREIGN OFFICE

143

3.4.1.

April 12th, 1923.

For 12741

with reference to Colonial Office letter 12741/1923 of March 27th, 1923, I am directed by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to state, for the information of the Duke of Devonshire, that the questions contained therein concerning the import and export of opium to and from Hong Kong have been

carefully considered.

2.

The Secretary of State concurs in the suggestion that the existing rulations, mich prohibit the importation of Turkish opium into Fong Fox,

other than on through Bill of Ladin to a place into which it may legally be imported, should now be enforced; and that the attention of the Japanese Consul General

at or Kong should be directed to these regulations and that he should be notified that in the future they will

be strictly enforced.

3. As regards the immediate confiscation by the Hong Kong Government of opium entering the colony in contravention of these regulations, the Secretary of State would prefer that the Covernor of Hong Kong should be left with the option of referring doubtful cases home for instructions, rather than that he should be bound to

proceed to confiscation forthwith. If such opin happened to be consigned to the Formosa Monopoly Zureau, which is a branch of the Japanese Government, summary

confiscation/

The Under Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.