893.114 Narcotics/1509
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 23.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Department’s telegram No. 19 of January 29, 12 noon, with regard to Customs Notification No. 1480 of December 9, 1935,55 limiting to the Central Health Laboratory the importation into China of narcotics, similar poisonous substances, and strychnine.
In compliance with the Embassy’s telegraphic instruction of February 5, 5 p.m., a copy of which is enclosed,54 the Counselor at Nanking reported in a despatch of February 7, 1936, addressed to the Embassy, a copy of which is enclosed,55 that Mr. Peck56 called on Dr. J. Heng Liu, Director of the National Health Administration and, in reply to his inquiries, was told that the importation of narcotics, similar poisonous substances, and strychnine is now a Government monopoly, that any persons or organizations in China requiring these substances will in the future be obliged to purchase them from the National Health Administration, “purchase permits” being issued to permit the transportation in China of the articles purchased, that strychnine was added to the list of narcotic drugs because it is used in the manufacture of heroin pills, that the statement in the Customs Notification No. 1480 to the effect that importations of these poisonous substances must be covered by certificates issued by the Ministry of the Interior [Page 570] probably referred to purchases by departments of the National Government other than the National Health Administration, and that a great effort was being made to restrict the importation of various substances used in the manufacture of heroin pills and other harmful narcotics.
The Embassy also, in compliance with the Department’s instruction, directed the Consulate General at Shanghai to report fully to the Department the probable effect on American commercial and professional interests and the attitude of those interests, in reply to which the Consulate General stated in despatch No. 155 of February 11, 1936 (copies of which were forwarded direct to the Department),57 that a full report on this subject was in the course of preparation for transmission to the Department.
An officer of the Embassy made inquiries of the British, French, and Japanese Embassies to ascertain their attitudes toward this apparent monopoly of the importation of the substances in question. Neither the French nor Japanese Embassies appeared to have given the question any consideration, seeming not to have knowledge of Customs Notification 1480. An officer of the British Embassy stated that a report had been made to its Government, that there had as yet been no reaction, and that it was probable that no action would be taken as long as imports of the substances in question were not being interfered with, as was the case, and that consideration had not yet been given to what might be done if such imports were interfered with.
Following the receipt of a copy of the report of the Shanghai Consulate General with regard to the probable effect on American commercial and professional interests and the attitude of those interests, the Embassy will submit further comment.
Respectfully yours,
Counselor of Embassy