London, July 14.
R.-A. Butler, Under-Secreta of State for Foreign Affairs, stated in the House of Commons yesterday that he had no information regarding the allegations that Japanese em} ers were distributing opium to their Chinese employees in China in lieu of regular wages.
The allegation was made by Mr.
Arthur Henderson, Labour member for the Kingswinford Division of Staffordshire Mr. Butler added that he would make enquiries,' if Mr. Henderson would communicate to him the re The Rev. R. Sorensen, Labour member for West Leyton, asked whether Mr. Malcolm MacDonald. Secretary of State for the Colonies, would institute a special enquiry into the social and industrial conditions of native workers in Hongkong, with a view to securing reliable information concerning their hours of labour and wages, and also the infant and adult mortality rate.
Mr. MacDonald pointed out that Sir Geoffrey Stafford Northcote, Governor of Hongkong, had recently decided to appoint a full-time labour vificer to the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs, which might have reached British consuls in China, Mr. Butler declared, had been asked to report regarding the alleged Japanese drug campaign in China, Mr. Ian Hannah, National Government member for the Bilston Division of Wolverhampton, drew aitention to the "embarrassment of British trade in North China arising out of the imposition of the new paper cūrrency by the Federated Reserve Bank, without backing, except for nominal credit of Y.100,000,000 by Japan, the export of which was prohibited.
He voiced the alarm of British merchants in North China lest all the currency of North China take the form of inconvertible notes, ani prevent British merchants from realizing their assets.
Mr. Butler replied that representations had already been made to the Japanese Government, and the British Government was continuing to [watch the situation closely,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.