CONFIDENTIAL.
45995/08
Hongkong.
Government House, Hongkong, 15th March, 1909.
My Lord,
I have the honour to acknowledge your Despatch Confidential of January 7th, on the subject of Opium. In this Despatch you observe that you recognise that as Governor of the Colony I am entitled to make known to the Council my views, even though those views appear to run counter to the declared policy of His Majesty's Government. Your Lordship therefore sanctions my laying before the Council the Memorandum on the Opium Question which I had submitted with my Despatch No. 280 of October 27th, 1908, (subject to the elimination of such passages as were based on confidential information) and also my two Despatches of that date (one of which was marked Confidential) and Your Lordship's reply of January 8th (also Confidential).
I desire to express to Your Lordship my thanks for this permission. I infer that Sir Thaddeus had cut out the suppressed portion of the memo before publication.
? Write to P.O., saying that the E. concurs in the publication of correspondence, and appreciates the motives which have led him to suggest this course – adding as above.
I think it was unwise to allow the memorandum to be published showing that our proposed action is foolish. But it is hard to restrain unwilling agents.
These unwilling agents are an awkward people to deal with.
RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF CREWE, &c., &c.
Gov 43471; 435471/08
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