OCC
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
221
[November 27.]
SECTION 1.
[225506]
No. 1.
India Office to Foreign Office.-(Received November 27.)
you
with
Sir,
India Office, November 26, 1917. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for India in Council to address reference to the arrangements recently notified, under which the grant of licences to export morphia from this country to Japan is made dependent upon the production of certificates from the Japanese authorities that the morphia is required for actual consumption locally and for medical purposes only.
The matter, I am to explain, closely affects this Department, as the morphia manufacturers in this country have, since the outbreak of war, been using to a large extent, and are now understood to be using entirely, Indian opium supplied to them by the Government of India under contracts unde with the Secretary of State in Council, Any considerable disturbance of the export trade in morphia, such as may result from the new regulations, may therefore effect materially the terms of future contracts with the morphia manufacturers, and possibly even the carrying out of contracts already made for future deliveries.
The Secretary of State would therefore be glad to be kept informed as fully as possible of the working of the new arrangements, and he would suggest for Mr. Secretary Balfour's consid ration that, unless this has already been done, His Majesty's Ambassador at Tukyo might be instructed to keep His Majesty's Government promptly and regully informed of the action taken by the Japanese Government in the master and its effect on exports to Chin
The only information at present available in this Department as to the attitude of the Japanese Government is that contained in Sir C. Greene's telegram No. 567 of the 22nd September last.
[2746 dd -1]
I am, &c.
E. J. TURNER.