Sir John Jordan, at the fifth session of the Geneva Opium Committee, in 1928, asked for information regarding' the new agreement [between the British Government and Portugal regarding Macao and her opium, for the agreement of 1913 had expired. The reply he received was to the effect that the two Gov-jemments were considering the amount of opium to be exported from India to Macao.
The British Government will do an invaluable service to the reputa. tion and honour of Portugal in the East, if she will insist on Government control in Macao and end this degrading farming-out system, and fat the same time remind Portugal that she is a signatory to the Convention, which empha states that the exportation of "prepared opium"—that is, opium prepared for smoking, as contrasted with raw opium—shall in no cir Jcumstances be exported to any country. Countries using opium for smoking purposes must prepare it the yet according to the minutes of the fifth session of the Geneva Opium Committee, Macao exported 22,000 Ib. of prepared opium to Chile, contrary to the most clearl} defined article of the 'As T have stated almost to nauseating reiteration lately, where opium is concerned, laws' treaties land conventions are almost obsolete, specially when the breach of them results in big revenues procured from the moral weakness of less fortunate people. For 100 years, Macao has evaded law and convention in relation to opium and it is about time that she came at least into line with other monopolies and ceased her iniquitous farm system. Half a pound of opium per capita per.annum is destructive, even if men, women and children all smok-it, but when we delete the women. ind children and a certain proportion of the men, for the Chinese are jot" all opium smokers, then those in Macao using the quantity imported must either be absolute opium sots, or, what is quite possible, a large amount is smuggled into Chinese territory; again contrary to the ratified Convention.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.