[ { "id": 440918, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-396 - Public Offices - 1912", "page_number": 254, "title": "CO129-396 - Public Offices - 1912", "content_text": "# THE OPIUM EVIL.\n\nIt is important to notice that the last paragraph of article 24 provides that in case questions shall arise relative to the ratification of the convention, for effectuation of the convention, or the effectuation of the laws, regulations, and measures which the convention involves, the Netherlands Government, if these questions shall not be decided by other means, shall invite all the signatory powers to designate delegates who shall assemble at The Hague to come to an immediate agreement on these questions. This is a novel feature, and as it will be readily seen practically provides for an arbitration at The Hague of any disputes growing out of the terms of the convention. Article 25 of the convention is common form, and contains the usual provision for denunciation, for the deposit of the convention, and for the transmission of certified copies of it to the powers represented at the conference.\n\nIt may be stated that the novel final provisions of the convention were designed because of the difficulties connected with its Chapter III concerning morphine and cocaine. Chapters I and II concerning the production and traffic in raw and prepared opium and Chapter IV concerning China are composed of distinct pledges by the signatory powers made on questions on which there was little or no disagreement, and to which it was thought the powers not represented at the conference would readily adhere. Chapter III, on the other hand, deals with the question of the traffic in morphine and cocaine, on which there was disagreement considerable enough to compel certain of the delegations to hold that the chapter could not be effectuated by the signatory powers until it was subscribed to by the States not represented in the conference. Therefore the novel final provisions were designed because of the difficulties connected with the contents of Chapter III, and the ratification of the entire convention must now wait upon the necessary supplementary signatures of 34 other States. Toward the end of the conference, and with the object of escaping this dilemma, the American delegation proposed that the convention should be broken in two parts--one to be composed of Chapters I, II, IV, and V, on the contents and strict pledges of which all the delegations were agreed, and to have as final articles the ordinary form of such articles in other conventions which provide for adhesion and ratification; the other convention to be composed of Chapters III and VI, the latter to contain the novel final articles as eventually adopted for the convention as it now stands. The American view, however, was not acceptable to a majority of the delegations, and therefore was not pressed.\n\nIn addition to the convention the delegates to the International Opium Conference signed a **protocole de clôture**, which contains the following views: That the conference is of the opinion that there is reason to draw the attention of the Universal Postal Union to the urgency of regulating the transmission by post of raw opium; to the necessity of regulating as far as possible the transmission by post of morphine and cocaine and their respective salts, and of the other substances contemplated by article 14 of the convention; to the necessity of prohibiting the transmission of prepared opium by post and of the advisability of the study of the question of the Indian hemp drugs from the statistical and scientific standpoint with a view to regulating their misuse should the necessity thereof make itself felt.\n\n## THE OPIUM EVIL.\n\nGenerally speaking, it may be said that the convention is satisfactory, and illustrates that the most powerful nations in the world are now agreed that an evil such as the opium evil is never wholly national in its incidence, can never be suppressed by two nations alone--as was supposed to be the case in regard to the Indo-Chinese opium traffic--but that such an evil as it appears in one State is a concomitant or reflex of a similar evil in other States and is therefore international in its moral, humanitarian, economic, and diplomatic effect; that this being so, few evils can be eradicated by national action alone; and therefore only by the cooperation of all the States directly or indirectly interested can such an evil be mitigated or suppressed.\n\nThe convention marks a decided step in advance in the international movement for the suppression of the opium evil initiated by the United States. This movement at first was thought to concern only those countries of the Far East, or those western nations having territorial possessions in the Far East--five or six in number. But it has proceeded by way of a sober international commission of inquiry, composed of commissioners representing 13 nations, and by a conference composed of delegates with full powers representing 12 of these nations. These delegates having formulated and signed on behalf of their Governments a convention containing strict pledges for national legislation and international cooperation, the convention has now been presented to the remaining States of Europe and America--34 in number--for their signature.\n\nBut, quite apart from the contents of the convention itself, the international movement initiated by the United States has had a directly beneficial effect on the interested nations, for pending the assembling and action of the International Opium Commission, and while the diplomatic correspondence, aimed to secure The Hague conference, was in progress, many of the Governments concerned perfected domestic legislation for the suppression of the evils connected with opium and other narcotics, and took measures concerning the export of these drugs which were of international significance.\n\nBy the final provisions of the convention contained in Chapter VI, there will probably be a delay of a year before the convention can be ratified by the signatory powers and those powers who agree to sign the protocol of supplementary signature. That, however, is of little moment compared to the new international comity which has been established by the document, and the furtherance by it of new principles of international commercial law; while the deduction may be made from article 22 of the convention, that all future Hague conferences dealing with matters of general international commerce must be composed of an overwhelming majority of the nations.\n\nThere is, however, one aspect from which the convention may be viewed that should be disquieting to the Government and the people of the United States. It has just been stated that a reflex effect of the initiation by the United States of the international movement for the abatement of the opium evil took the form of improved domestic legislation in nearly all the countries concerned, of very drastic legislation in some, while one country at least--Great Britain--both by national and colonial law, effectuated resolution 4 of the International Opium Commission, as now embodied in article 3 of the International Opium Convention.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-396 - Public Offices - 1912.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 440919, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-396 - Public Offices - 1912", "page_number": 255, "title": "CO129-396 - Public Offices - 1912", "content_text": "# THE OPIUM EVIL.\n\nThe one nation which has not been vitally affected by the international movement initiated by the United States is the United States itself, except in the Philippines. In the islands, there are model antinarcotic laws; but, in spite of repeated urging by the Executive, the Congress so far has failed favorably to consider carefully drafted measures aimed to bring the continental United States into line and in accord with the principles now embraced by the International Opium Convention. A good beginning was made by the Federal Government, as may be seen by reference to the opium act approved February 9, 1909. This act is imperfect—the only effect which it could possibly have being to prevent the legal importation into the United States of the vicious form of opium known as opium prepared for smoking.\n\nThe Federal Government legalized the importation of the latter form of opium by the tariff act of 1860, and from that year until the opium-exclusion act became effective on April 1, 1909, there were legally imported into the United States over 4,000,000 pounds of this debasing form of the drug on which the Government collected a customs tax of nearly $27,000,000. In addition to the legal importation from 1860 onward, almost half as much again of this form of opium is supposed to have been smuggled into the United States. The evils, economic as well as moral, associated with the importation and use of this form of the drug cannot be accurately computed, but what might be fairly called an underestimate of them was set forth in the report made on behalf of the American delegates to the International Opium Commission. (`S. Doc. No. 377, 61st Cong., 2d sess.`)\n\nJust prior to the assembling of the International Opium Commission at Shanghai in February, 1909, it became apparent to the Department of State that the American Government had invited the cooperation of 12 nations to mitigate or suppress the opium evil as seen in Far Eastern countries, but had failed to recognize that it had legalized the importation of that form of the drug which had been most baneful in its effect on the people of China and of other Asiatic States.\n\nIt was at once seen that it would be quite impossible for the American commissioners to appear at Shanghai until the Federal Government had taken some step toward a house cleaning. This was promptly done in part by the passage of the so-called opium-exclusion act just after the International Commission had convened.\n\nAnimated by the example of the Federal Government, some 30 of the States have improved the intrastate legislation aimed to confine narcotics to legitimate uses, but since February 9, 1909—the date of approval of the just mentioned act—no further decided congressional action has been taken, and the United States is now in the position, after having received the cordial cooperation of 12 powers, of being far behind in the movement to accomplish the purpose to which the American Government set itself in the autumn of 1906, when the first steps were taken to secure such cooperation.\n\n## \n\nThere is no doubt that during the sittings of the International Opium Conference at The Hague the American delegation was placed in a somewhat embarrassing position owing to the neglect of the Congress to pass legislation which had been urged upon it by the executive, aimed to perfect the opium exclusion act of February, 1909, and to bring under efficient control the export and interstate commerce in opium and other habit-forming drugs. Both formally and informally, it was pointed out to the American delegates at that conference that the other nations could have little hope for a final suppression of the opium and allied evils by international action so long as the United States, which had initiated the movement, failed to adopt the standard of national control in vogue in several European nations and in Japan.\n\nThree bills with this purpose in view have been urged upon Congress since March, 1910. They are entitled as follows:\n\n(a) A bill to amend an act entitled \"An act to prohibit the importation and use of opium for other than medicinal purposes,\" approved February 9, 1909;\n\n(b) A bill to amend the act of October 1, 1890 (`26 Stat., p. 1567`) regulating the manufacture of smoking opium within the United States;\n\n(c) A bill imposing a tax upon and regulating the production, manufacture, and distribution of certain habit-forming drugs;\n\nA fourth bill has been designed to carry out the pledges of this Government as contained in resolutions 8 and 9 of the International Opium Commission and as now pledged by this Government by virtue of article 16 of the International Opium Convention. The title of that bill is as follows:\n\n(d) A bill to regulate the practice of pharmacy and the sale of poisons in the consular districts of the United States in China.\n\nThe bills (a), (b), (c), were drafted after a wide consultation with all the interests likely to be affected (see `S. Doc. No. 377, 61st Cong., 2d sess.`). They have the general support of the pharmacy boards of the different States of the Union which are charged with the enforcement under the police power of the States, of the State acts for the regulation of pharmacy and the sale of narcotics; of the legislative committee of the National Retail Druggists' Association; and of the legislative committee of the National Wholesale Druggists' Association.\n\nSince the adjournment of the International Opium Conference on the 23d of last January, these bills (a), (b), and (c), have been carefully revised by a joint committee composed of representatives of the Department of State and of the Treasury Department, and their speedy consideration has been urged upon the Congress by the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury. Finally, it may be stated that the President has commended to Congress, with his approval, the legislation in question.\n\nFirst. By a message transmitting from the Secretary of State a report on the International Opium Commission and on the opium problem as seen within the United States and its possessions (`S. Doc. No. 377, 61st Cong., 2d sess.`);\n\nSecond. In his annual message to the Congress, December 7, 1910;\n\nThird. In a special message to the Congress, transmitting a report of the Secretary of State relative to the control of the opium traffic (`S. Doc. No. 736, 61st Cong., 3d sess.`); and\n\nFourth. In his message on foreign relations, communicated to the two Houses of Congress December 7, 1911.\n\nIt has been pointed out above that the United States had collected in customs duties, from 1860 until April 1, 1909, nearly $27,000,000 from the legalized importation of that vicious form of opium known as opium prepared for smoking, and that the use of this drug within the United States had caused an economic and moral degradation which could not be accurately computed.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-396 - Public Offices - 1912.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 456978, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-426 - Public Offices - 1915", "page_number": 294, "title": "CO129-426 - Public Offices - 1915", "content_text": "42\n\nEn vue de l'information de M. van Deventer et de la nécessité pour la Délégation de la Grande-Bretagne de demander de nouvelles instructions, le Président retire sa première proposition et propose de renvoyer les différentes résolutions au Comité de Rédaction et de convoquer une nouvelle séance aussitôt que le Comité de Rédaction aura fini son travail.\n\nCette proposition est adoptée à l'unanimité.\n\nM. Denby, Délégué des Etats-Unis d'Amérique, donne lecture du rapport suivant :\n\nMr. President and Gentlemen:\n\nI beg to call your attention to the legislation for the control of opium and narcotics in the United States.\n\nIn 1909 the U. S. had already on her statutebooks a law excluding from the U. S. opium except for medicinal purposes. In accordance with the proposed Convention which we now have under discussion this law has been during this year radically amended. These amendments provide:\n\n1. For absolute prohibition to have smoking opium in possession or to transport the same, further for the punishment of any person who having knowledge of opium being held or transported shall fail to advise the authorities thereof.\n\n2. That no opium for smoking shall be admitted into the U. S. for transportation into another country.\n\n3. That no opium or derivates thereof shall be exported from the U. S. to any country which regulates their entry, unless in conformity with the regulations of such country.\n\n4. That penalties for violations of above provisions shall be not more than $5000 fine or two years imprisonment.\n\nThe law is drastic in its terms, possession of opium will be sufficient evidence to convict.\n\nOther domestic laws of the United States are:\n\nAn act which became effective January 1, 1910, and which empowered the postmaster general to close the U. S. mails to cocaine and other drugs, and further, laws and projects of laws which regulate the production, distribution and manufacture of habit forming drugs.\n\nAs to opium in the Philippine Islands.\n\nA law controlling the import and use of opium in the Philippine Islands came into force March 1, 1908.\n\nThe effect has been immediate and convincing as to the efficacy of prohibitory legislation;\n\nin 1905 the amount imported in kilogrammes was 121,600, in 1906 68,100, in 1907 77,000, in 1908 28,000, in 1909 52 kilogram.\n\nPrior to the above legislation the sum of 300,000 dollars per annum was derived from duties. In 1909 only 274 dollars were derived from this source. The increased value of the drug has been an incentive to smuggling but to show how effective has been the control, it is to be pointed out that in 1909 only 1388 kilogrammes were seized in attempts at illegal importation. If all smuggled opium were not seized and if we assume that twice as much more came in undetected, we have only about 4000 kilogrammes per annum unlawfully admitted as compared with ten, twenty, or thirty times that amount lawfully admitted in previous years.\n\nIt is fairly to be presumed that with a worldwide control of the traffic under the terms of the Convention which is under consideration even this small extent of smuggling could be stopped. The laws of the United States as to the Philippines leave little to be desired in control of the opium and drug traffic, but to make those laws perfectly effective, the United States Government does depend on the cooperation of the other powers.\n\nTurning to legislation as to American exterritorial jurisdiction in China, I am able to inform you that projects of laws now before the Congress of the United States ready for enactment and partly enacted, carry out fully the provisions of the Convention as to the control which the United States exercises over American citizens in China. One bill controls American pharmacies in American consular districts in China and regulates the administering of morphine and other drugs. Long before the first opium conference in Shanghai in 1909, namely in 1880 the United States had by treaty with China debarred the opium trade in China to American citizens. It was made unlawful for an American citizen to buy or sell, ship or handle opium in China and in fact for decades the flag of the United States has covered no part of this traffic. The Convention which we now discuss provides for certain legislation as to Foreign Concessions in China. The United States has no concessions there. The Convention further provides for control of Foreign Post Offices in China as to receiving opium and drugs. The United States has but one post office in China, that at Shanghai, and that is effectively covered by the powers given to the Postmaster General of the United States by the law which became effective on January 1, 1910.\n\nIt cannot be made too clear that in urging the other signatory powers to put the Opium Convention into effect, we are urging something which the United States has already done. The provisions of the Convention are to a great extent the law of the United States to day, and they will certainly be entirely enacted into law, and we hope that all other parties to the Convention will do likewise. Only by your cooperation can worldwide control be established and only by your cooperation can our legislation be entirely effective, even within our own borders.\n\nSur la proposition du Président il est décidé que le discours de M. DENBY sera inséré en anglais dans les procès-verbaux.\n\nSon Exc. M. Marcellin Pellet, Délégué de France, voudrait demander une explication. L'article 23 de la Convention, dernier alinéa, porte:\n\n\"Aussitôt que les ratifications de toutes les Puissances signataires, tant pour elles-mêmes que pour leurs colonies, possessions, protectorats et territoires à bail auront été reçues par le Gouvernement des Pays-Bas, celui-ci notifiera à toutes les Puissances qui auront ratifié la Convention la date à laquelle il aura reçu le dernier de ces actes de ratification.\"\n\nEt le premier alinéa de l'article 24 porte:\n\n\"La présente Convention entrera en vigueur trois mois après la date mentionnée dans la notification du Gouvernement des Pays-Bas, visée au dernier alinéa de l'article précédent.\"\n\nLa date de la mise en vigueur est donc précisément fixée et subordonnée à la ratification. Nous ne pouvons pas en ce moment modifier ces dispositions de la Convention.\n\nLe Président attire l'attention de Son Exc. M. MARCELLIN PELLET sur le deuxième alinéa de l'article 23:\n\n\"Dans le cas où la signature de toutes les Puissances invitées n'aurait pas été obtenue à la date du 31 décembre 1912, le Gouvernement des Pays-Bas invitera immédiatement les Puissances à cette date, à désigner des Délégués pour procéder, à la Haye, à l'examen de la possibilité de déposer néanmoins leurs ratifications.\"\n\nC'est en vertu de cette disposition de la Convention que la deuxième conférence a été convoquée et celle-ci a décidé on trouve cela dans le Protocole de Clôture sous le chiffre III \"que dans le cas où la signature de toutes les Puissances invitées en vertu du paragraphe de l'article 23 n'aurait pas été ...\n\n43\n\n...obtenue à la date du 31 décembre 1912, le Gouvernement des Pays-Bas invitera immédiatement les Puissances à cette date, à désigner des Délégués pour procéder, à la Haye, à l'examen de la possibilité de déposer néanmoins leurs ratifications.\"\n\n289", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-426 - Public Offices - 1915.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 493326, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "page_number": 234, "title": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "content_text": "F472/472/10.\n\nSir,\n\n233\n\nFOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.1.\n\nMarch 15th 1922.\n\n+\n\nI am directed by the Marquess Curzon of Kedleston to transmit, herewith, copy of a despatch addressed to His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington by Mr. Trant, His Majesty's Consul at Portland, Oregon, concerning a narcotics conference recently held in that town. It will be observed that in the course of this conference attacks upon His Majesty's Government were made by the Mayor of Portland and other speakers. A copy of the report of the speeches of these two gentlemen published in the \"Morning Oregonian\", together with a reply addressed to that paper by Mr. Trant, are also enclosed herein.\n\n2. As there appears to be considerable ignorance in foreign countries regarding the steps taken by His Majesty's Government and the Government of India, to prevent the cultivation of, and traffic in opium, I am to enquire whether it would be possible for the Home Office to draw up a statement in consultation with the India Office showing how His Majesty's Government and the Government of India, far from being even indifferent to the evils of the opium traffic, have played a leading part in its suppression throughout the world. Such a statement would be of great value to His Majesty's representatives abroad, in explaining, as occasion may require, the real attitude of the Imperial authorities as evidenced by the many self-sacrificing measures which they have adopted.\n\n3. Copies of this correspondence are being sent to the India Office and the Board of Trade.\n\nI am, etc.,\n\n(Signed) Victor Wellesley.\n\nThe Under Secretary of State,\n\nHome Office.\n\nPage 234\n\n \nwas not included as there was no Page 233 at the end, and no other context to indicate it is needed, the original text has been kept as is.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 493327, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "page_number": 235, "title": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "content_text": "No. 58.\n\n(F472/472/10)\n\nSir,\n\nBritish Embassy,\n\nWashington,\n\nJanuary 19th 1922.\n\n234\n\nI have the honour to transmit to you herewith copies of the paper mentioned in the subjoined schedule.\n\nI have etc.,\n\n(Signed) H.G. Chilton.\n\n(For the Ambassador)\n\nHis Majesty's Principal Secretary of State\n\nfor Foreign Affairs,\n\nForeign Office,\n\nLondon.\n\nName and Date.\n\nSubject.\n\nBritish Consulate, Portland, Ore.\n\nNo. 2 of January 13th, 1922.\n\nAccount of a Narcotics Conference\n\nheld in Portland, Oregon.\n\nReference\n\n—\n\nWashington despatch\n\nNo. 1122 of October 25th, 1921.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 493328, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "page_number": 236, "title": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "content_text": "No. 2.\n\nSir,\n\n235 British Consulate, Portland, Oregon. January 13th, 1922.\n\nI have the honour to forward to Your Excellency herewith, clipping from the \"Morning Oregonian\" of January the 12th last, giving an account of a Narcotics Conference that was held in this city, on the 11th instant, during which certain charges were made by the Mayor of this city and others, implicating Great Britain officially in this pernicious traffic. I also forward clipping from the \"Oregonian\" of this date, containing refutation of these charges emanating from this office, and published in the form of a letter addressed to the Editor of the newspaper.\n\nThe narcotic drug traffic has unquestionably become in the past year or so, a very serious menace on this Coast, and the number of drug users, including even young children, has increased in alarming proportion. It is difficult to ascribe the reasons underlying the growth of this drug habit. Most people are disposed to put it down to prohibition. My own opinion, however, is that while not directly attributable to prohibition, it is largely the result of the example afforded by the bootlegger who has been reaping exorbitant profits at a minimum of effort. This in turn has produced the drug peddler who saw an equal opportunity of reaping enormous wealth at a fraction of cost. The proof of this lies in the energetic way in which drug addiction is being urged in the underworld, wherein...\n\nSir Auckland C. Geddes, K.C.B.,\n\netc., etc., etc.,\n\nH.M. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary,\n\nBritish Embassy,\n\nWashington, D.C.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 493329, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "page_number": 237, "title": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "content_text": "236\n\nInnocent\n\nwherein lies the tragedy of the whole situation.\n\npersons with no thought of using drugs, are being forced into\n\nthe habit so as to provide a wider clientele for these drug\n\nvendors, which in turn mean larger sales and bigger profits.\n\nIn the same way, the smuggling of drugs from abroad, is stimulated and encouraged to an extent hitherto unknown in this\n\nlocality. Japanese ships in the past year have been particular\n\noffenders in this respect, and large amounts of drugs have been\n\ntaken from these vessels. What amount has been successfully\n\nentered into the country, is of course an unknown factor.\n\nBritish ships coming into this port, have so far escaped any\n\nimputation as vehicles for the introduction of narcotics, but\n\nthis I think is primarily due to the fact that very few\n\nBritish vessels come to this port from the Orient, where the\n\ncentre of the drug traffic is situated, I am sorry to say,\n\nhowever, that several infractions of this character on British\n\nvessels of the Blue Funnel Line, have occurred in Seattle,\n\nduring the past year, where considerable quantities of drugs\n\nwere attempted to be smuggled into the country, by members of\n\nthe crew.\n\nI reported these facts to the Board of Trade, in\n\nthe hopes that by summary punishment this pernicious traffic\n\nwould be stopped, but I have received no report of the action\n\ntaken, and in the mean time, these infractions of the law\n\ncontinue.\n\nThe above facts demonstrate the menace now confronting\n\nthe Pacific Coast, and explain the reason for calling the\n\nNarcotics Conference in Portland, above referred to. They in\n\nno wise, however, justify the allegations made at this\n\nConference, by Mayor Baker and Dr. Andrew C. Smith, on Great\n\nBritain's official participation in this drug traffic, which\n\nI...", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 493331, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "page_number": 239, "title": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "content_text": "COPY.\n\nEXTRACT FROM \"THE MORNING OREGONIAN\"\n\n12/1/22.\n\nGreat Britain Blamed.\n\n238\n\nMayor Baker declared that investigation of various kinds has disclosed that Great Britain is responsible for a great deal of the narcotics produced and smuggled into this country and that led him to broach the subject of an international conference, for he said he had become convinced that only in this manner could the course of supply be abated.\n\nHe advocated a conference of Pacific coast governors, looking to amendments of the federal laws and a general threshing out of methods to suppress the great evil.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 493333, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "page_number": 241, "title": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "content_text": "LOFY.\n\n(F472/472/10)\n\nBritish Consulate,\n\n\"The Morning Oregonian\"\n\nPortland,\n\nOregon.\n\n13th January 1922.\n\n240\n\n13/1/22.\n\nBritain curbs narcotic trade\n\nConsul denies charges made at Portland Conference.\n\nBRITISH CONSULATE, Portland, Jan. 12\n\n—\n\n(To the Editor)\n\nI cannot allow to pass unchallenged certain statements of Mayor Baker and other speakers as reported in the press in connection with the narcotics conference held yesterday, that Great Britain is responsible for a great deal of the narcotics produced and smuggled into this country, and that she takes a leading part in forcing opium on China and India. The facts are directly contrary to these statements, as Mayor Baker and the other speakers would have discovered if they had taken the trouble to investigate the situation before making such unfounded charges.\n\nIn India the opium trade is a government monopoly, and as such, now carefully governed and controlled. Gradually the acreage under the crop is being diminished to meet only the most essential and legitimate needs for this drug. In proof of this it can be shown that in 1907, 488,548 acres were under the crop, and in 1914 (the last year for which statistics are available) only 145,000 acres were devoted to the opium poppy. In 1913 the opium export to China under treaty was completely stopped, and no further exports to that country are any longer allowed. This utterly disproves the wild statement that India is forcing opium on China, or in fact, on any other country whatsoever. The difficulty is to resist the demand from outside, now that the production has so greatly decreased.\n\nIn", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 493334, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "page_number": 242, "title": "CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922", "content_text": "241\n\nIn any other form of traffic in narcotics Great Britain takes no part. In fact, far from being a participator in this terrible trade, she is most concerned in suppressing the illicit traffic wherever it exists. In fact whenever smuggling of narcotics on British ships can be shown it is immediately reported to the home authorities, and drastic measures are taken against the owners of the vessels, notwithstanding whatever action may have been independently taken against the individual smugglers. Thus it will be evident that Great Britain is working to the suppression of the drug traffic all over the world, as energetically as any other foreign power.\n\nThe proposed international narcotics conference at Washington is timely and to the point, for it cannot fail to demonstrate, even if it does nothing else, how unjust and unfair are Mayor Baker's criticisms of Great Britain's association in this trade.\n\n(Signed) John P. Trant,\n\nH.B.M. Consul.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 496992, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923", "page_number": 238, "title": "CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923", "content_text": "## § VIII\nIt is self-evident that, both with regard to an increase of prices and other restricting measures, the Régie cannot go beyond certain limits in view of the danger of an expanding illicit traffic, to which a vast area like that covered by the islands of the Netherlands Indies is eminently adapted. It is true that with the aid of the police and customhouse officers, a forcible action is taken against this traffic, while, moreover, high premiums are offered; but if the price of opium is fixed too high and if other obstacles are put in the way of the buyer, the profits attached to smuggling are so large that even the most scrupulous supervision would not be able to put a check upon this traffic.\n\nIt should also be borne in mind that enhanced prices might give rise to an economic exhaustion of that part of the population which cannot possibly dispense with opium.\n\n## § IX\nFurthermore, the following steps were taken in the course of years to restrict the consumption of opium as far as possible.\n\nAt public festivities, no opium may be distributed or offered as a prize.\n\nNo opium is sold to persons under 18.\n\nWithout a medical prescription, Europeans are not allowed to possess opium. On the issue of this prohibition in 1911, an exception was made for such as were then accustomed to take opium. A non-transferable licence was issued to them. At the close of 1921, 9 Europeans were still in the possession of such a licence.\n\nThe use of opium is wholly forbidden to the native crew of the navy and to native soldiers.\n\nThe number of opium-selling shops is constantly being diminished (it was 1480 at the end of 1914, and 1274 at the end of the year 1921), while also the number of hours when the selling shops are open to the public is more and more being reduced. These measures are great handicaps for the acquisition of opium.\n\nFor the same purpose, the number of divans is restricted. In 1914, this number was still 160; at the end of 1921, no more than 72 were left, the bulk of which was located in the large seaport towns.\n\nThe Government promotes the publication of pamphlets written in the native languages, in which the detrimental influence of the use of opium is clearly pointed out and has, moreover, articles of like tendency inserted in school-books.\n\nThe Government has announced that, if one should succeed in finding an anti-opium remedy containing no morphine or other substances injurious to health, it would be prepared to make this remedy publicly known and to see that it be sold at cost price.\n\nAs a rule, opium-using labourers are not admitted to the Government undertakings. Where, as with the tin workings in the island of Banka, the entire prohibition of the use of opium would be a danger to the undertaking, the Government has earnestly endeavoured, by adopting effective measures, to arrive at the ultimate extinction of the evil. Workmen newly engaged by this important concern, which almost exclusively employs Chinese workers, are forbidden to use opium. Only such as were active with the undertaking before the year 1917, and then already indulged in the opium habit, are allowed to continue, subject to severe restriction.\n\n## § X\nThe provisions of the Opium-Régie, which allow the importation and sale on the part of Government only and prohibit any export, naturally admit of an exception with regard to opium for medical purposes.\n\nThe regulations concerning this matter equally hold good for opium, morphine, cocaine, and all kindred drugs. The importation, manufacture, and sale of drugs are allowed to no other persons than to such as are authorized thereto, under due guarantees; the possession of drugs is not permitted to others without a medical prescription and is subject to many restrictions.\n\nThe provisions laid down for exportation, which in practice does not exist, have since 1911 prevented possible consignments to countries closed to any imports. The import-certificate system of the League of Nations, adopted by the Netherlands Indies, in no way alters the actual situation.\n\n## § XI\nHolland was represented on the International Opium Commission at Shanghai in 1909 and in the International Opium Conference held at the Hague in 1911 and 1912. The International Opium Treaty of 23rd January was signed by the Netherlands, also on behalf of her oversea possessions. The treaty was ratified on 28th July 1914. As may be gathered from the foregoing sections, the opium policy in the Netherlands Indies is founded on the principles adopted internationally.\n\nDuly authorized persons are:\n| Category | Description |\n| --- | --- |\n| a | Pharmaceutical chemists; |\n| b | Medical men qualified to keep a dispensary; |\n| c | Veterinary surgeons at places where there is no dispensary, or where no dispensary was established at the time of their settling down. |\n\nTo medical men who have no dispensary, veterinary surgeons at places where a dispensary is established, qualified dental surgeons, and directors of private infirmaries which, in the opinion of the Director of the Civil Medical Service, are entitled thereto, the possession is allowed, inasmuch as this is necessary to enable them personally to administer or to apply the narcotics.\n\n232", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 497125, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923", "page_number": 371, "title": "CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923", "content_text": "# LIMITATION OF THE MANUFACTURE OF MORPHINE, OTHER OPIUM DERIVATIVES AND COCAINE\n\n## Proposals for Control Measures\n\n\"I. That the farm system, where it is still in operation, should be abolished, and the opium business should be made a Government monopoly and kept entirely in the hands of the Government.\n\n\"II. As a corollary of paragraph 1, that the retail sale of prepared opium should be made only from Government shops, and that all private shops should be abolished. Persons in charge of the Government shops should be paid a fixed salary, with any commission on the amount of business done, and therefore would have no temptation to push the sales.\n\n\"III. That a uniform maximum limit should be fixed for the amount of prepared opium placed on sale for consumption, calculated according to the adult Chinese male population, e.g., x taels per 10,000 adult Chinese males, and that the annual imports of raw opium should be limited to the amount required for that rate of consumption.\n\n\"IV. That the possibilities of the system of registration and licensing, which has already been introduced in some of the Far Eastern territories, should be thoroughly explored.\n\n\"V. That the possibility should be considered of making uniform, so far as circumstances permit: \n(a) the price at which prepared opium is retailed in the different territories, and \n(b) the penalties for infraction of the law in regard to the import, export, sale, and use of prepared opium.\n\n\"VI. That the interested Powers, that is the Powers having territories in the Far East where the consumption of prepared opium is still permitted, should conclude an agreement among themselves to apply the foregoing measures for the purpose of carrying out Chapter II of the Convention.\n\n\"VII. That the position should be generally reviewed periodically by the Powers interested and the question of further reducing the maximum limit fixed in agreement should be considered.\"\n\nThe Committee further unanimously decided to recommend that the minutes of its discussions on the subject should be communicated to the Governments with the resolution.\n\n## Limitation of the Manufacture of Morphine, Other Opium Derivatives and Cocaine\n\n### (a) Signature and Ratification of the Convention\n\nThe Committee noted that fifty-one countries Members of the League had signed, and forty had ratified, the International Opium Convention of 1912. Mrs. Hamilton Wright furnished the Committee with information regarding the position in Turkey. She had been officially requested by the Turkish Delegation to the Lausanne Conference to inform the Committee that Turkey was willing to accept the Convention, to join the League of Nations and to accept the same restrictions as any other nation.\n\n### (b) Import Certificate System\n\nThe Committee reviewed the general situation and noted that twenty States had accepted the import and export certificate system and had put it into force, and that thirteen others had accepted it in principle. The representatives of the United States of America explained the system of certificates in force in America. An importer had to obtain authority from the Federal Narcotics Control Board in respect of each consignment proposed to be imported, and, if approval were given, could obtain from the Board a certificate to that effect.\n\nThe Advisory Committee examined such figures as had been obtainable regarding the manufacture of morphine, other opium derivatives and cocaine in the producing countries. The Committee received explanations from the Japanese representative to the effect that, as no figures for the quantity of morphine actually remaining in stock in Japan were available, the statistics for import and manufacture combined could not be taken as representing consumption.\n\nThe Japanese representative said that it might be supposed that some quantity of drugs was smuggled out of Japan without the knowledge of the Japanese Government, but he informed the Committee of new ordinances which had lately been promulgated by his Government with the object of restricting the import and export of morphine, cocaine and their respective salts and of supervising their manufacture, sale and consumption.\n\nThe Committee had before it statistics of the import of drugs into America showing that the great majority of the derivatives of opium and cocaine imported by the United States was furnished by Switzerland. The importance of obtaining the adhesion of Switzerland to the Convention and the import and export certificate system was emphasised.\n\nThe Committee instructed the Secretariat to communicate the particulars of the system in force in America to all signatory States of the International Opium Convention of 1912.\n\nThe Portuguese representative stated that a Bill was at the moment before the Portuguese Chamber providing for the issue of a certificate of import to all exporting countries which demanded it.\n\nThrough lack of time, the further consideration of the position in regard to the import certificate system was postponed till the next session of the Committee.\n\n### (c) Annual Reports\n\nFifteen annual reports for 1921 and eleven for 1922 have been received by the Secretariat. Several of these reports, however, are not complete. The Committee decided once more to ask the Council to urge on the Governments the importance of sending in the annual reports on the traffic in opium and other dangerous drugs.\n\nThe following States Members of the League have signed but not ratified the Convention: Argentine, Colombia, Costa Rica, Esthonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Paraguay, Persia and Switzerland. Albania has neither signed nor ratified the Convention.\n\nPage 365", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 497127, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923", "page_number": 373, "title": "CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923", "content_text": "# RESOLUTIONS.\n\n## I.\nThe Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium accepts and recommends to the League of Nations the proposals of the United States representatives as embodying general principles by which the Governments should be guided in dealing with the question of the abuse of dangerous drugs and on which, in fact, the International Convention of 1912 is based, subject to the fact that the following reservation has been made by the representatives of the Governments of France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal and Siam:\n\n\"The use of prepared opium and the production, export and import of raw opium for that purpose are legitimate so long as that use is subject to control in accordance with the provisions of Chapter II of the Convention.\"\n\n## II.\nThe Advisory Committee, appreciating the great value of the co-operation of the Government of the United States of America in the efforts which the League has during the past two years been making to deal with the question of the abuse of dangerous drugs, expresses the belief that all the Governments concerned will be desirous of co-operating with that Government in giving the fullest possible effect to the Convention.\n\n## III.\nIn bringing the American proposals to the notice of the Council and the Assembly, the Advisory Committee would recall that, during the two years that have elapsed since the Convention came into operation, it has worked towards the same ends by: \n1. taking all possible steps to secure the adhesion of all countries to the Convention; \n2. investigating the question of the world's needs of the manufactured drugs for medicinal and scientific uses with a view to the eventual limitation of the production of these drugs; \n3. recommending the system of import certificates and arranging the exchange between States of information in regard to the illicit use of the drugs, and proposing other measures for securing international co-operation in suppressing that traffic; \n4. inviting the Powers with territories in the Far East to review their requirements of opium, and submitting proposals for an investigation by the Chinese Government of the conditions in China, with a view to the more effective application of Chapter II of the Convention and the solution of the problem of the use of prepared opium in the Far East; \n5. collecting and publishing information as to the measures taken to give effect to the Convention and the position generally in all countries in regard to the traffic, with a view to securing the enforcement of the Convention.\n\n## IV.\nAs a means of giving effect to the principles submitted by the representatives of the United States and the policy which the League, on the recommendation of the Committee, has adopted, and having regard to the information now available, the Advisory Committee recommends to the Council the advisability of inviting:\n- (a) The Governments of the States in which morphine, heroin, or cocaine, and their respective salts are manufactured and the Governments of the States in which raw opium or the coca leaf are produced for export for the purpose of such manufacture;\n- (b) The Governments having territories in which the use of prepared opium is temporarily continued under the provisions of Chapter II of the Convention and the Government of the Republic of China,\n\nto enter into immediate negotiations (by nominating representatives to form a committee or committees, or otherwise) to consider whether, with a view to giving the fullest possible effect to the Convention of 1912, agreements could not now be reached between them:\n- (a) as to a limitation of the amounts of morphine, heroin or cocaine and their respective salts to be manufactured; as to a limitation of the amounts of raw opium and the coca leaf to be imported for that purpose and for other medicinal and scientific purposes; and as to a limitation of the production of raw opium and the coca leaf for export to the amount required for such medicinal and scientific purposes. The latter limitation is not to be deemed to apply to the production and export of raw opium for the purpose of smoking in those territories where that practice is temporarily continued under the provisions of Chapter II of the Convention;\n- (b) as to a reduction of the amount of raw opium to be imported for the purpose of smoking in those territories where it is temporarily continued, and as to the measures which should be taken by the Government of the Republic of China to bring about a suppression of the illegal production and use of opium in China.\n\n### Reservation by the Representative of the Government of India\n\nThe representative of the Government of India associates himself with the foregoing resolution, subject to the following reservation regarding paragraph 1:\n\n\"The use of raw opium, according to the established practice in India, and its production for such use are not illegitimate under the Convention.\"\n\nThe Advisory Committee, having regard to the large amount of detailed information now available, recommends the Council to invite the Powers with Far Eastern territories where the use of opium for smoking is temporarily continued in pursuance of Chapter II of the Opium Convention, to enter into immediate negotiations, by means of calling a special Conference of representatives of these Governments, or otherwise, to consider what measures should be taken to give a more effective application to Chapter II of the Convention and to bring about a reduction of the amount of opium used, and whether, on the lines of the suggestions set out below or on other lines, an agreement or understanding could not now be reached for the adoption of a uniform policy on the matter:\n\n1. That the farm system, where it is still in operation, should be abolished and that the opium business should be made a Government monopoly and kept entirely in the hands of the Government.\n2. As a corollary of paragraph 1, that the retail sale of prepared opium should be made only from Government shops, and that all private shops should be abolished. Persons in charge of Government shops should be paid a fixed salary without any commission on the amount of business done, and therefore would have no temptation to push the sales.\n3. That a uniform maximum limit should be fixed for the amount of prepared opium placed on sale for consumption, calculated according to the number of the adult Chinese male population, e.g., taels per 10,000 adult Chinese males in the territory, and that the annual imports of raw opium should be limited to the amount required for that rate of consumption.\n4. That the possibilities of the system of registration and licensing, which has already been introduced in some of the Far Eastern territories, should be thoroughly explored.\n5. That the possibility should be considered of making uniform, so far as circumstances permit:\n - the price at which prepared opium is retailed in the different territories, and \n - the penalties for infraction of the law in regard to the import, export, sale and use of prepared opium.\n\n6. That the interested Powers (that is, the Powers having territories in the Far East where the consumption of prepared opium is still permitted) should conclude an agreement among themselves to apply the foregoing measures for the purpose of carrying out Chapter II of the Convention.\n7. That the position should be generally reviewed periodically by the Powers interested and the question of further reducing the maximum limit fixed in the agreement should be considered.\n\nThe Advisory Committee asks the Council to request the Governments to communicate their views as to the possibility of a total suppression of the manufacture of heroin or of its limitation to the minimum amount required.\n\nThe Advisory Committee, being convinced of the great value of the information contained in the annual reports which each Government has been requested to transmit to the Secretariat, once more recommends the Council to urge on the Governments the importance of sending regularly to the Secretariat such reports, which should contain the fullest possible information, both with regard to the production of and the traffic in opium and other narcotics.\n\nThe Advisory Committee recommends the Council to draw the attention of the Governments to the extreme desirability not only of direct communication to other immediately interested Governments of the details of any seizures made, but also of a general communication to the Secretariat of the League of Nations of all important seizures in order that the fullest international publicity may be secured by the transmission, with the consent of the Governments concerned, of this information by the Secretariat both to other Governments not immediately concerned in the specific case and to the Press.\n\nPage 367", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 498536, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-486 - Public Offices - 1924", "page_number": 207, "title": "CO129-486 - Public Offices - 1924", "content_text": "-27- \n\n204\n\nwould intensify smuggling.\n\nArticle 6 limits the whole trade in narcotics under the Convention to the parties thereto. The unlimited right to the seizure of narcotics proposed in Article 9 was also a dangerous measure to take.\n\nKr. Boville replied to the objection against the terms he had used, saying that this draft convention was not meant to deal with the question of prepared opium, as this subject would already have been dealt with by the First Conference. With regard to the harmless derivatives, Neville said that unless control of all forms of derivatives were established, it would be impossible to supervise the traffic in an effective way. The United States Government thought that the traffic in derivatives should not be regarded as an ordinary trade, and that it should be, as far as possible, discouraged.\n\nIn reference to the difficulty in bringing offending States to account, Dr. Neville pointed out that the whole scheme was necessarily based on the assumption that the manufacturing States would subscribe to the agreement and would take measures to protect themselves if at any time countries outside the agreement began to manufacture the drugs for illicit purposes. Article 9 of the proposal did not imply the right of seizure on the high seas.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-486 - Public Offices - 1924.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 499114, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924", "page_number": 223, "title": "CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924", "content_text": "# Brethren\n\nThe \n\n## HONG KONG \n\nDATE: 9 April 1924 \n\n213 17155 \n\n9 APR 24 \n\n**(Signed) G. GRINDLE** \n\n## FOR CIRCULATION\n\nMr. Revenue fr. production or sale of drugs \n\nAsst. U.S. of S. \nParm1 U.S. of S. \nPart U.S. of S. \nSecretary of State. \n\n24 3. \n\n## MINUTES\n\nCopies of Minutes on `15679/24` Dansin \n\nThese proposals relate to the second conference, i.e., the one not concerned primarily with the application of Ch. II of the Convention in F.E. Territories, but with the general question of limitation of production and manufacture of narcotics.\n\nThe Dutch suggest that the best way of solving the cocaine problem is to give the N.E.I. a monopoly; all countries where coca is not now grown on any considerable scale to undertake not to grow it. (N.B. F.M.S. is experimenting \n\n## Previous Paper \n\n`16716` Question asked in House by Mr. Lumley regarding proposals submitted by American Govt.\n\n## Subsequent Paper \n\n`£12911`, `18624/27`, `88,000 11/29-MoC--E 258`", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 499115, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924", "page_number": 224, "title": "CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924", "content_text": "# MINUTES\n\nexperimenting with coca growing).\n\n## II\n\nU.S.A. make various suggestions for discussion, most of which need not cause us any concern. One of them however we shall have to consider viz. \"**The acceptance of the principle that no state should rely upon the revenue from the control of opium for purposes of operating the Government beyond the expenses incident to controlling the narcotics traffic**\".\n\nI mention this now as hitherto F.E. Dept. has not taken a very active interest in this general conference, and the Eastern Governments have only been asked to send representatives for the F.E. Conference; but if this sort of question is to be discussed at the Second Conference, it may be necessary to have them in attendance for both Conferences. We can however defer any action until the question of the British Delegation is raised (cf.`9507`) (Intlld.) J.J.P.\n\nMINUTES NOT TO BE WRITTEN ON THIS SIDE.\n\nc.o. `17155`\n9 APR 24\n214\n\n## 27. Mr. Lumley, - \nTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether he is aware that the American government has laid before the committee of preparation for the League of Nations Opium Conferences proposals providing that no state shall rely on revenue from the production or sale of narcotic drugs except to finance the control of traffic in such narcotics; and whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to endorse this principle. [Wednesday 9th April.]\n\nM Parkin \nYou Tr-key \nWe redni regálu. \nSii G. Grundle. \nfre `15679`\n\nI think reply came herewith. \nAs to the Cuzi p. flagged. \n8/6/20 Las better sand of the. \nAs Amanner t PL will LAB to 30. \nAuggestion returned be doubt spend it privately. \nMr. Fiddian, to see 3/4 At once (Intlld.)..$ (Intll4) A.E.3. \n4/4/24. \n3 (Intlld.) A.F. \n4 \nA.E.C. `874` & Register HM. (A). (with copy of `15679`) & my minutes hereon). \nArme.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 499116, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924", "page_number": 225, "title": "CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924", "content_text": "# Official Report\nJanuary 1924\n## LEAGUE OF NATIONS (OPIUM CONFERENCES)\n\nMr. LUMLEY asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the American Government has laid before the Committee of Preparation for the League of Nations Opium Conferences proposals providing that no State shall rely on revenue from the production or sale of narcotic drugs except to finance the control of traffic in such narcotics; and whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to endorse this principle.\n\nMr. PONSONBY: I am informed that certain suggestions have been submitted to the Committee of Preparation by the United States representative for their consideration. It would be premature, and would prejudice the work of the Committee, for His Majesty's Government to express any views with regard to these or any other proposals that may be put before the Committee while they are still under the consideration of the Committee.\n\nOfficial copy sent under cover of F.O. despatch dated 1/4/24. M.7993/20/87.\n\n## LEAGUE OF NATIONS\n\n### TRAFFIC IN OPIUM\n\n#### SECOND OPIUM CONFERENCE\n\nThe Secretary-General has the honour to forward at the request of the Opium Advisory Committee the following documents for the information of the Members of the League.\n\n1. Observations by the Netherlands Government.\n2. Proposals submitted by Mr. Edwin Neville on behalf of the Government of the United States.\n\n### OBSERVATIONS BY THE NETHERLANDS GOVERNMENT\n\nwith reference to the Second Opium Conference, November, 1924.\n\nThe object of the Opium Conference which will open on November 17th, 1924, is to limit to the quantities required for medical and scientific purposes:\n- the quantities of morphine, heroin, cocaine and their respective salts which may be manufactured;\n- the quantities of raw opium and coca leaves which may be imported for that purpose;\n- the output of raw opium and coca leaves for export.\n\nThe Royal Government considers that the limitation of manufacture or production, as proposed by the Conference, can only be successful if all countries in which such manufacture or production takes place accept the proposed regulations, if other countries undertake not to commence such manufacture or production, and if control is effectively exercised in all countries.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 499123, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924", "page_number": 232, "title": "CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924", "content_text": "## -8- \n\n**PROPOSALS SUBMITTED BY MR. EDVIN NEVILLE ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES.**\n\n222\n\nThe Resolution calling the Narcotics Conference reads as follows:\n\n\"The Assembly, having noted with satisfaction that in accordance with the feeling expressed in the fourth resolution adopted by the Assembly in 1922, the Advisory Committee has reported that the information now available makes it possible for the Governments concerned to examine with a view to the conclusion of an agreement, the question of the limitation of the amounts of morphine, heroin or cocaine and their respective salts to be manufactured; of the limitation of the amounts of raw opium and the coca leaf to be imported for that purpose and for other medicinal and scientific purposes, and of the limitation of the production of raw opium and the coca leaf for export to the amount required for such medicinal and scientific purposes.\n\n\"Requests the Council, as a means of giving effect to the principles submitted by the representatives of the United States of America and the policy which the League, on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee has adopted, to invite the Governments concerned to send representatives with plenipotentiary powers to a Conference for this purpose, to be held, if possible, immediately after the Conference mentioned... ... ... ... ... \n\n\"The Assembly also suggests for the consideration of the Council, the advisability of enlarging this Conference so as to include within its scope all countries which are Members of the League, or Parties to the Convention of 1912, with a view to securing their adhesion to the principles that may be embodied in any agreement arrived at.\"", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 501838, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-491 - Public Offices - 1925", "page_number": 84, "title": "CO129-491 - Public Offices - 1925", "content_text": "44\n\nExcise and inland tax are to be levied on articles manufactured in China, including wine and tobacco products, on a corresponding scale.\n\nProvision is made for the eventual grant of full tariff autonomy.\n\nAs regards the distribution of revenues between the Central Government and the provinces:\n\n- The Central Government will receive the customs revenues (for consolidating the debt) and the factory and wine and tobacco excise duties and two-thirds of the stamp tax and salt duties; and,\n\nThe Provinces will receive the general transit pass dues (later inland tax) and wine and tobacco inland tax and one-third of the stamp tax and salt duties.\n\nApproximate estimates of the above revenues under these proposals will be found in Annex VI.\n\nThere are, of course, many objections which may be raised against, and alternatives which may be put forward for, the above proposals, which may, however, serve in any case the Chinese as a basis for a consideration of the general problem. Government will doubtless submit proposals of their own.\n\nJanuary 20, 1925.\n\nE. TEICHMAN.\n\nScheme for the Abolition of Internal Taxation and Fiscal and Financial Reconstruction in China.\n\nPART I.\n\nARTICLE 1.\n\nIt is agreed that the following methods of procedure shall be immediately applied in preparation of the way for the abolition of li-kin in accordance with the provisions of articles 2 and 3 of the Chinese Customs Tariff Treaty, signed at Washington on the 6th February, 1922.\n\nThe use and protection of transit passes shall be extended to all produce and goods of native or foreign origin, whether in Chinese or foreign hands, without restrictions of any kind, and irrespective of their provenance and ultimate disposal, whether in China or by export abroad (excepting only wines, beer, porter, spirits and tobacco products and narcotics, which shall be dealt with as hereinafter provided, and articles trade in which is prohibited or subjected to special restrictions with the consent of the Treaty Powers as specified below). Under these new arrangements, therefore, all produce and goods of native or foreign origin, whether in Chinese or foreign hands, being conveyed either from the interior to the open port at which the transit pass is issued, or from such open port to any internal market, without limitation as to method of transport, shall be entitled on payment of the treaty transit dues of 2.5 per cent. ad valorem to be covered by transit passes which shall afford full protection against any further taxation en route, including maritime customs duties when traversing a treaty port, in the case of outward transit pass produce or goods, from the time they are purchased and despatched from the internal district named in the transit pass as their place of origin until they reach the hands of the consignees at the place of their destination, and in the case of inward transit pass produce or goods from the time they are imported or purchased and despatched from the place at which the transit pass is issued, until they reach the hands of the consignees at the internal market of their destination or wherever they may be disposed of en route. But in the case of outward transit pass goods the place of destination, and in the case of inward transit pass goods the place of despatch, must be a place at which a Maritime Customs Station is established.\n\nTransit passes will continue to be issued by the Maritime Customs Administration, who will, in consultation with the Legations principally interested, draw up a detailed procedure regarding their issue and use and the payment of transit pass dues, including satisfactory arrangements in regard to repacking and processing privileges, based on the provisions of existing treaties as modified by those of the present treaty.\n\nThe revenues from transit pass dues will continue to be collected by the Maritime Customs Administration and will be lodged, less expenses of collection, in the Shanghai office of the Bank of China, where they shall lie in a special account at the disposal of the head of the Revenue Council and the Inspector-General of Customs, who, acting on behalf of the Central Government, will distribute the proceeds pro rata amongst the provinces for local expenditure of a productive nature in compensation for any loss of internal revenue to the provinces entailed by the new procedure. In the event of any taxation being levied, directly or indirectly, on such transit pass produce or goods, or on their conveyance, while en route to the consignees at place of destination, the amount of such taxation will be refunded, on presentation of taxation receipts or other satisfactory proof of payment, by the Customs Administration, out of and up to the amount held by the said Administration on account of transit pass dues for the province in which such taxation is levied, and the total amount of such irregular taxation shall be deducted from the amount due on account of transit pass dues to the province in question. In the event of the amount of such taxation exceeding the amount due to the province concerned, reimbursement will be made by the provincial authorities, or, if the said authorities fail to do so, by the Central Government, out of other funds.\n\nNo taxation of any kind will be levied on outward transit pass goods at the place of production or origin at the time of or after their purchase, whether by way of monopoly fees, production taxes, weighing taxes, inspection fees, or other means: and any such taxes levied at the place of production or origin before the produce or goods are purchased and come under the protection of the transit pass shall not exceed a total of 2 per cent. ad valorem in one locality. Any destination, consumption, or other taxes levied on inward transit pass goods after they have reached the hands of the consignees at the place of destination shall similarly not exceed a total of 2.5 per cent. ad valorem in one locality, and such destination or consumption taxes shall not be levied on transit pass produce or goods at the last barrier or city gates of the place of destination, but, if at all, only after the produce or goods have been removed from their original packages by the consignees for sale or have been sent on to a further destination other than that named in the transit pass. The Peking octroi, being a barrier tax, will therefore not be levied on transit pass produce or goods sent to Peking, but it is understood that transit pass dues paid to the Maritime Customs Administration on produce or goods sent to Peking will be handed over to the Peking Octroi Collectorate; produce or goods sent to Peking unprotected by transit passes shall be liable to octroi at a rate not exceeding 2 per cent. ad valorem.\n\nNo taxation of any kind beyond the import and export duties and any local charges which may have been agreed to by the treaty Powers will be levied on produce or goods, whether in Chinese or foreign hands, or in their original packages or otherwise, at the open ports, or in the harbours, cities, suburbs, or approaches thereof, excepting either transit pass dues or existing native customs duties on produce or goods brought from or despatched into the interior.\n\nTransit passes will be issued on application for every kind of produce or goods, excepting only those in which trade is prohibited, or on the movement of which an embargo may be placed, temporarily or otherwise, by the Chinese authorities with the approval of the Central Government and with the consent of the treaty Powers, and wines, beer, porter, spirits, tobacco products and narcotics, which shall be dealt with as hereinafter provided.\n\n(Note. The question of prohibited imports and exports should if possible be dealt with by the conference. The issues concern the articles which may properly be placed on the list of prohibited imports as munitions of war under Rule III of the 1902 Rules of Trade, the movement of silver dollars under Rules II and V of the 1858 Rules of Trade, the trade in grain (rice, beans, &c.), and the export of live-stock.)\n\nThe Chinese Government undertake to abolish the existing coast trade duties, that is to say the export duty and half import duty on native produce carried coastwise. Instead of the coast trade duties, the new transit pass procedure will be applied to such sea- or river-borne produce or goods (under arrangements to be formulated by the Maritime Customs Administration, which will protect the export duty revenues against abuse), and such produce and goods carried coastwise will thus be placed on the same footing in regard to transit dues privileges as land-borne produce and goods. Foreign imports having paid import duty shall continue to be entitled to be transported from one open port to another open port without further taxation of any kind.\n\n(Note. It will be a matter for consideration whether the Customs Revenues can afford to be depleted by the abolition of the export duty on native produce carried coastwise as well as of the half import duty.)\n\n45\n\n$2\n\n121\n\n..", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-491 - Public Offices - 1925.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 501839, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-491 - Public Offices - 1925", "page_number": 85, "title": "CO129-491 - Public Offices - 1925", "content_text": "47\n\nA special treatment shall be applied to all imported and locally manufactured wines, beer, porter, spirits, tobacco products, and narcotics, which shall, whether disposed of at the open ports or in the interior, pay in addition to the import duties levied on imports by the Maritime Customs Administration, and the excise levied on local manufactures by the Wine and Tobacco Administration, an inland tax of 10 per cent. ad valorem to the Wine and Tobacco Administration. Such goods, not being entitled to the use of transit passes, and having paid import duty or excise and inland tax, shall be free of all further taxation whatsoever, direct or indirect, or on their conveyance, sale, or consumption; and the amount of any taxation levied in violation of the provisions of this paragraph shall be refunded by the Wine and Tobacco Administration, or be deducted from any further sums due to the said administration by the firms or individuals who may have paid such irregular taxation.\n\nThe revenues from the inland tax on wine and tobacco products shall accrue to the provinces as provided for in article 6.\n\nExisting agreements between the Wine and Tobacco Administration and Chinese or foreign tobacco interests in regard to the detailed procedure for the payment of inland tax and excise on tobacco products shall, if the parties concerned so desire, continue in force subject to the provisions of the present treaty.\n\n(Note. Wine and tobacco products have to be dealt with separately owing to the existence of the taxation agreements between the Wine and Tobacco Administration and the tobacco companies, which already provide for an inland tax, clearing the goods of all further taxation, including destination tax, &c. The arrangements regarding wine and tobacco products in Part I of the treaty, therefore, in a way anticipate those to be applied to all goods under Part II and will constitute a useful test of the ability of the Chinese to abolish completely internal taxation as far as this limited class of goods are concerned. The existing agreements have broken down largely because the taxation was too low and because no provision was made for securing the goodwill of the provinces by allocating part of the revenues to them. For the provisions affecting wine and tobacco products as regards import duties and excise, see articles 2 and 4, and as regards the reorganisation of the administration and the allocation of the revenues to the provinces, article 6. Wines, &c., are included as it seems reasonable that they should bear the same increased taxation as tobacco products, and because they are already, as far as internal taxation is concerned, dealt with by the Wine and Tobacco Administration.)\n\nIt is understood that the expression 'open port' in the present treaty means any port or city or locality already opened or which may in the future be opened to foreign residence and trade, whether under the treaties or by the Chinese Government of their own volition. A list of such open ports, at all of which Maritime Customs stations are or will be established, is attached (see Annex I).\n\nThe provisions of this article shall come into force simultaneously with the enforcement of the surtaxes provided for in article 2.\n\n(Note—It might be desirable, in view of the difficulties the Post Office have had with barriers such as that of the Peking octroi, to provide specifically for the carriage of transit pass and inland tax goods by the Post Office and for the collection of transit pass and inland tax dues by the Post Office on behalf of the Customs and Wine and Tobacco Administrations.)\n\nARTICLE 2.\n\nIt is agreed that the following surtaxes shall be levied on dutiable imports in accordance with the procedure outlined in article 3 of the China Customs Tariff Treaty signed at Washington on the 6th February, 1922.\n\nImported articles of luxury (i.e., of a non-essential nature) as specified in the attached schedule (see Annex II) shall be liable to a surtax at a uniform rate of 5 per cent. ad valorem, bringing the total import duty to be levied thereon up to 10 per cent. ad valorem. All wines, beers, porter, spirits, tobacco products, and narcotics shall be liable to a surtax at a uniform rate of 10 per cent. ad valorem, bringing the total import duty levied thereon up to 15 per cent. ad valorem. All other imported goods shall be liable to a surtax at a uniform rate of 2½ per cent. ad valorem, bringing the total import duty levied thereon up to 7½ per cent. ad valorem. Imports from and exports to all countries shall enjoy most-favoured-nation duty treatment.\n\nThe schedule of luxury articles referred to in this article shall be liable to modification at the will of the Chinese Government on obtaining the consent of a two-thirds majority of the Governments of the other contracting Powers.\n\nThe surtaxes provided for in this article shall come into force within one year from the date of the signature of the present treaty on a date to be determined by the Chinese Government; but at least three months' notice of such enforcement shall be given to the Governments of the other contracting Powers.\n\nGoods carried by junks or sailing vessels trading to and from the open ports shall not pay lower duties than the duties (including surtax) on similar cargo carried by steamers.\n\n(Note—It seems doubtful whether any useful purpose will be served by pressing for the substance of the last sentence, reproduced from the Mackay Treaty.)\n\nARTICLE 3.\n\nThe surtaxes provided for in article 2 of the present treaty shall be levied for the following purposes and subject to the following conditions in accordance with the stipulations of article 3 of the China Customs Tariff Treaty signed at Washington on the 6th February, 1922.\n\nThe customs revenues, that is to say, the proceeds of the import duties (and surtaxes) and export duties and all other revenues now collected by the Maritime Customs Administration, with the exception of the proceeds of transit pass and tonnage dues, shall, in the first instance, be completely devoted to the service of the national debt, both internal and external, that is to say, to the indemnity and loan services, which shall be met in the order of their priority. A list of the indemnity and internal and external loan obligations charged on the customs revenues in accordance with this article, showing the order of their priority, and indicating the revenues other than customs revenues earmarked for their services and the amount of such original security, is attached (see Annex III). Such loans as are specifically secured on revenues other than customs revenues shall continue to be met as far as possible out of such earmarked revenues; but if funds are not forthcoming from the earmarked revenues these loans will also be met out of customs revenues in the order of their priority as laid down in the list above referred to.\n\nOn the coming into force of the supplementary provisions of the present treaty, resulting in the further increase of the customs revenues by the further raising of the tariff, all internal and external loan obligations, irrespective of their original security, will, as far as possible, be met out of customs revenues, thus freeing completely or pro tanto for the general purposes of the Chinese Government and Provincial Administrations the other revenues earmarked for their services; with the exception only of railway loans, which shall continue to be met out of railway revenues, while remaining a charge on the customs revenues, in the order of priority laid down above, should funds for their services not be available from railway revenues.\n\n(Note. The arrangements indicated in the preceding and following paragraphs represent an alternative to the Padoux Plan, which deals with the unsecured debt by the issue of new consolidated bonds secured on the customs revenues, and are designed to cover the problem of the partially secured loans. Possibly a combination of the two procedures will be found to provide the best solution.)\n\nIn accordance with the intention of the Washington Conference that the Special Conference should provide for the establishment of machinery to ensure that the proceeds of the surtaxes are applied to the purposes determined by the Special Conference, the following arrangement for the custody and disposal of customs revenues is agreed upon. The customs revenues shall be lodged, less expenses of collection and administration, in the Shanghai offices of the banks principally interested in the internal and external loan services of the Chinese Republic, that is to say, the Bank of China, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the Yokohama Specie Bank, the Banque de l'Indo-Chine, and the International Banking Corporation, in equal shares. The said revenues shall lie in special accounts in these banks at the disposal of a commission composed of the Minister of Finance (chairman), the head of the Revenue Council, the Inspector-General of Customs, and one representative each of the custodian banks named above. This commission, whose decisions will be taken with not more than two dissentient voices, will apply the customs revenues to the\n\n83", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-491 - Public Offices - 1925.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 519014, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-516-5 Policy of Hong Kong government on the purchase and supply of opium 25-2-1929 - 10-5-1929", "page_number": 28, "title": "CO129-516-5 Policy of Hong Kong government on the purchase and supply of opium 25-2-1929 - 10-5-1929", "content_text": "## BRITISH BULLETIN, No. 38.\n\nAre the nations anxiously waiting to see the international peril of these destructive drugs dealt with at Geneva, without the constant bickerings and obstructive tactics which have marked the proceedings since the Conferences at the close of 1924, and the beginning of 1925?\n\nWe do not ignore the valuable work done by the Committee in reporting so fully on the illicit traffic. Sir Malcolm Delevigne deserves unlimited praise for the elaborate exposure of the traffic in drugs in startling quantities to many parts of the world by secret agencies. Neither Persia nor Turkey furnish to the League any report of their production of opium, while distributing more than two million pounds annually. Soviet Russia is also an offender, but neither Russia nor Turkey is even a member of the League. It has to be remembered, too, that one-half of the States which are members of the League, including six which are represented on its Council, have neglected, up to the present, to ratify the Geneva Convention of 1925. All this is a grave hindrance to the League's control of the traffic, and especially of the secret illicit portion of it.\n\nSir Malcolm made the following proposals: An enquiry by the new Control Board into each case where suspiciously large quantities of drugs are being handled; thus tracing to their sources of illicit consignments; the withdrawal of licences from all culprits; the exaction of severe penalties for those engaged in illicit trade; the watching, and, where necessary, punishment, of transport and forwarding agencies taking part in illicit traffic; and rigid observation of new factories for the preparation of heroin.\n\nHe urged also that steps should be taken to bring home to the various Governments the gravity of the present situation. He declared that many Governments had not yet awakened to the necessity of suppressing the trade in narcotics. Licences should be withdrawn from all factories found to be associated with the illicit traffic. He said that an English morphine factory which had been found supplying the illicit trade had not only had its licence withdrawn, but had also been pilloried. He could not see why certain firms in other countries, whose names had been freely mentioned during the present enquiry, should not be similarly treated. Their names ought to appear in the report of the Committee.\n\nThese admirable proposals, we presume, commended themselves to the members of the Advisory Committee. Therefore, we should like to know why, when mention was made of the offenders, an endeavour was made to hush the matter up. Why did the delegates of four countries demand that the names should not be published to the world? And why should it have been left to the Journal de Genève to give us the names and details of the misdeeds of the offenders?\n\nWe referred to the very lengthy statement of Mr. Wang King-Ky, the Chinese Minister at Brussels, and the first delegate to Geneva of the Nationalist Government of China. There was so much that was valuable in it that it was a great pity it contained a variety of political allusions which marred it to such a degree that it was impossible for the Committee to place it on their minutes. When an attempt was made to persuade the writer to withdraw the political reflections, he declined. It was an unfortunate conclusion to a statement otherwise worthy of respectful consideration.\n\nBriefly, the Chinese delegate insisted on five points which, in discussion, would probably have been treated with the courtesy they demanded.\n\n1. That the League should declare itself for the immediate and absolute prohibition of opium smoking in the Far East—not only in China, but elsewhere.\n2. The abolition of consular jurisdiction, and the cessation of protection by foreign consuls of their nationals who trade illicitly in drugs.\n3. Collaboration of other nationalities with the Chinese police for the suppression of the illicit trade.\n4. The general limitation of narcotic drug manufacture.\n5. The extension of the task of the League's Commission of Enquiry in the Far East, as proposed at the instance of the British Government, to all opium producing and drug-manufacturing countries.\n\nIt may be necessary to mark the point in No. 5. The proposed Commission of Enquiry was to be sent to the East only; whereas China maintains, with some show of reason, that it is just as important for the enquiry to be pursued in the West, seeing that her people are grievously afflicted by the narcotic drugs poured in upon her from the West. Mr. Wang King-Ky claims that the drug-manufacturing and distributing countries should be brought under review by the Commission.\n\nThere we leave our brief attempt to sum up the leading points in the January meeting of the Advisory Committee. It is not altogether cheerful reading, but some progress has been made, especially in the question of dealing with the illicit traffic.\n\n### The Naarden Factory Scandal.\n\nWhat that illicit traffic is was reported on in many ways in the minutes of the Advisory Committee, but we have space only for the most conspicuous instance. The President described it as the most important document of the kind ever put before the Committee. The disclosure as made by Sir Malcolm Delevigne of the doings of the Naarden Factory, at Bussum, near Amsterdam, involved Holland, Switzerland, and Austria. Holland received large quantities of morphine, heroin, and cocaine from Switzerland, and through agents at Vienna distributed them in the Far East. These illicit operations amounted to 35,600 ounces of morphine, 113,000 of heroin, and 3,350 of cocaine, of which the greater part of the morphine and heroin, and half the cocaine, were consigned to China. The Japanese delegate calculated that the medicinal needs of the whole of China would be only a fraction of the morphine and heroin so consigned. The Swiss delegate agreed that his Government had been imprudent, but had regarded the Dutch firm as one to be relied upon.\n\nIt is satisfactory to know that the Naarden factory will no longer be permitted to operate in this way, nor to make and handle dangerous drugs; and the agents at Vienna have been arrested. It was a curious fact, however, that the Naarden factory was declared not to have broken the law, but was only now to be compelled to refrain from this kind of business by the adoption both by Switzerland and Holland of the system of export and import certificates.\n\nWe will just add that, in the course of the statement of this case, it was said that there is a close relation between this illicit traffic and the \"White slave traffic,\" cocaine being one of the means used systematically to demoralize and secure the victims of prostitution. An instance was given of the ingenuity of smugglers—a cripple in Naples being arrested for having his crutches stuffed with cocaine. The Italian delegate further mentioned that pharmaceutical chemists were found participating in the illicit trade. One of them was discovered to be purchasing cocaine at about £6 10s. per kilogramme, and selling it in large quantities at about £24 5s per kilogramme.\n\n### League Inquiry Commission.\n\nIn our October issue, we described at length the proposal to send a Commission of Enquiry to the Far East to obtain information by close personal touch with the conditions that prevail. It was thought that such Enquiry would assist the work of the Central Board, and prepare the way for the new Conference which had been foreshadowed by the Convention of February, 1925, and which is to be held in 1930, instead of 1931, as at first intended. Several countries gave their support to the proposal, but when the question of expenses was discussed, the difference of opinion became accentuated. Thirteen delegates only (of whom six are within the British Commonwealth) voted that the Inquiry should proceed; China voted against it, because it was not proposed to include the examination of the drug-producing countries of the West; and seventeen abstained from voting, including such countries as France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and nine other European States.\n\nThe difficulty of financing the Enquiry has now been overcome. All Governments concerned have replied, with the result that financial obstacles have disappeared. Great Britain, France, Holland, Japan, and Siam have all offered hospitality to the Commission. Japan has made a specially gracious offer of help. Great Britain is to pay £2,960, Holland £1,400, France £1,240, and Siam £400. With the sum offered by the League Assembly, the contribution may now be regarded as sufficient. America promises special facilities in the Philippines, but has not been asked for a contribution or for hospitality. The president of the Enquiry Commission is M. Ekstrand, the Minister of Sweden in the Argentine. A Belgian expert in economics and finance, and a Czecho-Slovakian diplomat with Far Eastern experience have joined the Commission, which will leave Europe in September. The Enquiry is expected to occupy nine months, and will then submit its report to the Council of the League.\n\nThis is all to the good. It keeps things moving. And the Commission's work will continue to awaken interest, and may do something to restrict the illicit traffic.\n\n### The Central Board.\n\nThe permanent Board of Control has at last been appointed. The Council of the League in its session at Lugano on December 14th selected eight names, as follows:\n| Name | Country |\n| --- | --- |\n| Dr. O. Anselmino | Germany |\n| M. C. S. S. Borin | France |\n| Prof. Guiseppi Gallavresi | Italy |\n| Mr. L. A. Lyall | Britain |\n| Mr. H. S. May | New Zealand |\n| M. M. Miyajima | Japan |\n| Sir B. K. Mullick | India |\n| M. Henrik Ramsay | Finland |\n\nA session of this Board was held in January, and is to meet in this current month to report on the lines of work it proposes to follow. It will present its statement to the Council in June. The most hopeful aspect of the whole matter seems to us to be that Mr. Lyall is chairman of the Board.\n\n### Hong-Kong.\n\nWe have often called attention to it in recent years. Sometimes things looked bright, but soon they became overshadowed once more. On January 19th, a report was given to the Advisory Committee on \"the alarming situation at Hong-Kong, where the quantity of opium consumed is from five to ten times greater than the quantity authorised for sale by the Government. It was added that it would be the duty of the Commission of Enquiry to find a remedy—which we hope they may do. Of course, the simplest way would be to cut off the tail of the snake just behind the ears; in other words, to prohibit opium smoking in the Colony, as the National Government of China proposes to do throughout the length and breadth of the land. In that case, the illicit traffickers will find their market gone.\n\nThe report to the Committee was in these words: **The Hong-Kong Government states in its annual report that, in order to cope with the enormous quantities of opium that are smuggled into the country, it tried the experiment of placing on the market a cheap Government brand manufactured out of confiscated opium in its possession. This experiment, the object of which was to drive the smuggler out of the market, had the temporary effect of increasing considerably the sales of Government opium. The experiment had to be discontinued when the supply of confiscated opium was exhausted.**\n\nIs it not curious that trade in narcotics has a deteriorating effect on the common-sense of officials and statesmen, as the use of them has on the morals of addicts? It is pitiful to see a council, composed of British subjects (some of them Chinamen), wasting...", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-516-5 Policy of Hong Kong government on the purchase and supply of opium 25-2-1929 - 10-5-1929.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 } ]