CO129-513-5 Coastal and river trade- prevention of smuggling and illicit trading 15-10-1928 - 14-12-1929 — Page 55

10.

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ing of unmanifested cargo, and although His Majesty's

Consul at Ichang furnishes no direct evidence that spium

has actually been carried on British ships calling at

Ichang it is safe to assume that there is at present

no thing to prevent opium forming part of these cargoes.

19. The present agitation against traffic in opium,

whether it be sincere or not, must increase the tendency

for opium to be smuggled instead of being shipped more

or less openly in vessels flying the Chinese flag, and

the immunity which British vessels at present enjoy in

respect of searching is bound to increase the tendency

for opium to be smuggled on British ships.

20.

As a result of this tendency a position is like-

ly to arise when the question of the control over car-

go shipped on British vessels will assume a new and

graver importance, for while in the past the interests

chiefly affected by the carrying of ummanifested aærgo

through lack of effective control have been those of the

shipping companies themselves, a continuance of the

present unsatisfactory position may have wide reper-

cussions on British interests as a whole.

His Majesty's Minister desires that this aspect

of the case should be brought to your notice now, be-

fore it is too late

21.

It is not suggested that shipping companies

ought to find effective means of preventing the smuggling

of drugs in small quantities in passengers luggage or by

methods which the police of all countries have been un-

able to prevent, but the fact that the door is at pre-

sent wide open to smuggling in bulk is a matter of very

grave/