CO129-522-1 Illicit traffic in Chinese opium 7-12-1929 - 29-10-1930 — Page 62

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China Mutual Steam Navigation Company to prevent smuggling

on their vessels. The precautions consist of (1) the

regular searching of vessels both in port and on the high seas, with special reference to the stores of the Chinese Compradores, (2) the posting of warning notices in the passengers' quarters in English and Chinese, (3) the with-

drawal of customary bonuses from employees who are found

negligent in regard to prevention of smuggling and (4) the employment of special policemen at Hongkong whilst the

vessels are loading for the purpose of detecting opium

smuggling.

In the case of the s.s "Ixion" the vessel had

been searched on the 11th May at Hongkong, on the 15th May

at sea, on the 22nd May at Yokohama, on 27th May and 3rd

June at sea. The search at Hongkong was made in the

presence of the Hongkong Water Police and at Yokohama in

the presence of an official of the British Consulate General,

and a certificate was obtained from the Consulate that the

search had been made.

We are communicating with the Government of Hongkong

with a view to ascertaining whether anything further can

usefully be done to prevent opium being smuggled out of

China through Hongkong in this way, but as you no doubt

realise, conditions in China being what they are, it is very

difficult to deal successfully with this problem. It occurs

to me that it might be an advantage if the American Customs

Authorities on the Pacific Coast when they receive information

from their Agents or otherwise of forthcoming attempts to

smuggle opium, would telegraph the information confidentially

to the Superintendent of Imports and Exports at Hongkong who

might then be able to detect the gangs of Chinese concerned

in/