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Transit through the Colony.

Impossibil-

In ships opium has been found in every hollow space from the ladies' bath- rooms to the Captain's cabin and from the crow's nest to the bilges. It has in fact been found useless to embark on the search of a large ship unless definite informa tion is forthcoming as to the precise whereabouts of the contraband, and in view of the impossibility of opening all the packages on board a ship any search of cargo is likely to be abortive unless particulars of the suspect packages are known.

9. The difficulties met with in combatting smuggling into the Colony are, if possible, increased when the attempt is made to prevent smuggling through the Colony.

It is a manifest impossibility to search all ships and examine all cargo passing through the Colony and here therefore our excise service is more than ever dependent on the receipt of definite and accurate information as to consignments.

In 1928 only three seizures were made of opium in transit to the south and one of opium in transit to the United States of America.

10. The Chinese community has from time to time protested against the ity of more rigorous search to which incoming passengers and their luggage are subjected and the methods of search could not be made more efficacious without evoking a storm of protest.

rigorous

searches.

- or

increase of penalties.

A more rigorous search of shipping would likewise cause profound discontent among the shipping community and result in the withdrawal of such support as is now given to the suppression of the traffic.

The Government feels that the penalties for trafficking in and use of illicit opium are already sufficiently drastic and that any increase of the penalties would merely encourage offenders to out-bid the offers of rewards by the amounts of the bribes which they would offer for immunity from prosecution.

Part IV.

J

THE DIFFICULTIES CAUSED IN THE FULFILMENT OF THE OBLIGATIONS

UNDERTAKEN IN CHAPTER II OF THE HAGUE OPIUM CONVENTION

OF 1912 AND IN THE GENEVA OPIUM AGREEMENT OF FEBRUARY, 1925.

As will be seen from Part II of this Memorandum the Government of Hong Kong has taken all possible measures to give effect to the obligations undertaken, and the failure to achieve the total suppression of the use of and traffic in opium must be attributed to the difficulties foreseen in Article II of the Protocol to the Geneva Agreement coupled with the difficulty of eradicating an established habit amongst a fluctuating community inhabiting territory which is particularly susceptible to the operations of dealers in contraband.