CO129-522-4 China inland water- river and coastal trade- smuggling by British ships 12-12-1929 - 24-3-1930 — Page 33

Enclosure No.

5

Butterfield & Swire.

Sir,

33

HONG KONG 17th January.1930.

CONFIDENTIAL

I have the honour to reply to your letter of 11th December

last (No. 5998/1929.c.) with regard to what effective steps can be

taken to reduce the evil of smuggling on British ships in Chinese

Territory in order to justify the insistence upon immunity of

search except at the hands of the Chinese Maritime Customs, and

to express regret for the delay in replying, due to obtaining

direct confirmation of the current position in regard to this matter,

hich has been the subject of serious deliberation and correspondence

between our offices at Shanghai and H. B.M.'s Consul General there.

Sum arized, it is to the effect that by searches, sealing

possible hiding places on ships, publication of Customs rewards,

and gener:lwatchfulness, British owned Ship, ing Companies are doing

all that they possibly can under e xisting conditions and within the

limits of reasonable s afety to life and property, to prevent smug ling but their efforts are greatly nullified and often flagrantly

encouraged by the inactivity of the Chinese Maritime Customs, the

deliberate placing on board and removal of opium by armed soldiers, and the disregard, if not the actual concurrence of Provincial

Chinese Authorities themselves.

We fully realise that it is in theinterests of the

Shipping Companies to suppress smuggling of any kind on their

stea ers, but the difficulties of prevention are continually being

increased by the action, and inaction, of the Chinese Authorities

themselves.

Definitely and frequently, opium is brought alongside British steamers on the Yangtsze ins ampans by armed parties, under whose supervision it is put on board. The atteni on of the Customs searchers is repeatedly drawn to the fact that there is

reason to suspect opium being on board, but no real effort is