L
Copy.
0.4
(2006).
4243 TREC-
4 FEB 14
167
The Portuguese Minister presents his compliments
to His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
and has the honour, with reference to this Legation's
note of December 20th last No.126 concerning the
opium question, to state that he has received the
following information which has been communicated
telegraphically to the Portuguese Government by the
Governor of Macao:-
"The delay in replying to the telegram of the 7th
November is due to the reluctance of the opium farmer
to accept the charge of payment to the Agent at Calcutta
and this Government desiring to obtain the opium farmers
assent which I think difficult as he now declares he
wants to purchase raw Pritish India opium through the
medium of the English commercial firm in Hong Kong
Michael Company, who buy opium advancing capital.
Under such conditions I think it useless to name a
Calcutta agent which would augment the expenses of the
Colony without any advantage to the business."
Portuguese Legation.
January 13th 1914.