Fewer legal Imports Owing to "Agreement" with the Japanese Authorities By Rrewaro Although there continues to_ be, more smuggling into Amoy than any' other place on the southeastern coast of China, with the exception fof the Canton area, the situation has greatly Improved during the past veer and specially in the past six months. This has been brought about by an agreement with the Japanese regarding the so-called "runners," the involuntary ald of the Japanese navy In turning the former smuggling bases into a fortified naval zone and prohibiting its use by commercial vessels; and also through the improved' protective measures of the Customs and the action of the tional Government in preventing the transmission of smuggled goods in-
'The main articles being smuggled into the Amoy section continue to bbe sugar, Kerosene, matches, fish products,' dyed cotton and. artifeial sill piece goods, and formerly cement large quantities.
Compared with North China the smugalinig inthe southeast is very small and is being steadily reduced. One evidence of this 1s the greatly Increased Importation of sugar through the regular channels, Sugar with a duty of 5.9 Customs Gold Units, which comes to about n 200 per cent, tant, is the principal Item {nthe smuggling trade. During the past year, however, four times as much sugar was imported into Amoy through the Customs. as during the previous year. Although improved Economic conditions in the province of Fukien have ven the people a somewhat higher purchasing power in this section, this factor is-more than balanced by the Increased local production of sugar. When the eultivation of the poppy was prohibited and the law actually enforced in Fukien three years ago, a large part of this land came to be used for growing sugar cane.
'Smokers' Delight Kerosene, ' vhich usually comes second on the list of smuggled goods, Is also being imported in much larger quantities through regular channels. Matches which are another important article in the legal trade are not longer being smuggled in large mounts, But in this case the change not duo to the Customs but rather Chinese competition.—Matches manufactured in Swatow are being produced so cheaply that even after the freight is pald they can be sold In Amoy at a lower price than smuggled matches from Japan. privileges is hardly: a penalty to smugglers, "ach finder the recent National law leath' Is prescribed for transporting specified goods on land without Conveyahee Certificates.
'Approximately 20,009 Formosans in 'Amoy, who figure largely In' this iMlegat trade, enjoy extraterritorial rights, Furthermore, when they are turned over to the Japanese police it found that they have committed no crime, for there is no law in Japan or' Formosa prohibiting the smuggling of goods Into China, and, consequently the offender Is freed. Of course, it is a crime to smuggle goods Into Japan or Formosa, but that is an entirely different matter In the eyes of the law.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.