CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923 — Page 303

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On the 5th of September, a telegram was sent

to him regretting that the Colonial Office could not

agree; and suggesting that Sir M.Delevingne might explain

that the increase was only apparent; and might add

that the amount of opium for consumption in Hong Kong

would be reconsideredin the Spring in connection with the

general question.

On the 8th of September, Lord Balfour telegraphed

from Geneva that the question was being raised there and

that it was most important that His Majesty's Government

who had taken a strong line with reference to the execution

of the opium convention and suppression of the opium and

not drug traffic in China, Japan and other countries, should"

give a handle for attack in the Assembly of the League, by

appearing to increase the traffic in the case of Hong Kong.

He fully appreciated the reasons for the increase, but strongly urged on the grounds of general policy that the

increase should be postponed until after the whole

question had been examined by the League's Advisory

Committee next Spring.

A telegraphic reply was sent from the Colonial

office on the 9th asking whether it would not suffice to

undertake that if the Advisory Committee should so recom mend it next Spring, the supply of opium placed on sale in Hong Kong would be so limited that the average con- sumption of opium from now till the end of 1923 should not exceed the average consumption of the last few years, on the closest estimate. that could be made, which would

be placed before the Advisory Committee; this estimate

to take into account the large amount of opium smuggled

from China which had recently been brought under much

stricter