CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923 — Page 399

Malcolm Delevingus raising the question of the

registration of smokers in the form in which

it

appears in the Committee's resolution

>

because I am convinced that if some such system

could be devised which could be effectively

at a rimonable cost and administered without unduly antagonising the

Chinese population, a great step would have

been taken towards the really effective

control of the use of the drug.

In your despatch No.178 of the

16th of May, you have dealt at length with

the difficulties in the way of adapting such

(31940)

DRAFT.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

MINUTE.

a system in Hong Kong, but I trust never-

theless that the local Committee, the

appointment of which I have suggested,will

examine the suggestion with care, in all

its bearings.

As you are no doubt aware, opium

smokers are already registered and licenced

in various territories in the

East

Far

notably in the Netherlande

East Indies. I recognize however that

ige

the unique geographical position of Hong

Kong invests the problem with peculiar

difficulties

Sir C. Davis.

Sir G. Grindle.

Sir H. Read.

Sir J. Masterton Smith.

Mr. Ormsby-Gore.

Duke of Devonshire.

10

may perhaps

difficulties, and it will probably be

:

393

necessary for the Colony to be accorded

copy

7/2

special treatment. The accompanying of

a despatch from His Majesty's Consul at

Tengyueh, regarding the position in the

Shan States, where a system of registra-

tion has recently been introduced, and

where also it would appear,

the problem

of Chinese en passage has had to be con-

aldered, may be of interest to you.

(V) Will, no doubt be duly con-

sidered by your Government.

and

(VI) VII) require no comment.