NA CONFIDENTIAL.
Duful
20465
13
GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
$
HONGKONG. 12th. May, 1914.
Sir,
REG 5 JUN14]
3:318.
With reference to your Confidential Despatch
of the 18th. of February and to previous correspondence, I have the honour to transmit for your information an extract, with translation, from the Official Journal of Indo-China of the 26th. of March last, copy of which was lent to me by the courtesy of the French Consul-General here, containing regulations governing the aale of raw and prepared opium by the Government Monopoly which has now been established at Kwang-chau-wan.
2.
Under these regulations the Monopoly may sell
an unlimited quantity of raw and prepared opium. Monsieur Liébert informs me, however, that at present the quantity of raw opium offered for a sale is limited to 40 chesta per mensem. On the
other hand the Superintendent of Imports and Exports reports that early in April the Monopoly sold 120 chests at $5,500 per chest. He corroborates the French Consul-General that future sales will, until further notice, be limited to 40 chests a month.
3.
No questions seem to be asked by the Monopoly as to the disposal of the raw opium sold by it. Mr. Hutchison reports that according to his information a Chinese Merchant at Sheklung near Canton recently purchased 2 chests of raw opium coming from Kwang-chau-wan at 87,000 a chest. Raw opium purchased at 85,500 per chest could be sold at a good profit in this Colony.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
&C..
LEWIS HARCOURT, H.P..
&c..
&c...
The