Enclosure in Sird. Carnegier No. 40 of Fehmary 7. 1920
bopy
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K18 BRITANTIC HAJESTY'S LEGATION,
LISBON, February 7, 1920.
J. I
Youm zoallanoy;-
Agreements have in recent years been concluded between the
Government of India and the Governmenta of 3iam, the Dutch Rast
Indies, tiongkong, the Etraits Dettlements and British forth Bor-
neo whereby the export of Indian opium to those countries takes
place under a system of direct sales to the Governments of the
importing countries, which state the amount of their legitimate
annual requirements and thus relieve the Government of India of
any suspicion of supplying excessive quantities, An extension of
this system to Japan and Indo-China has lately been proposed to
the Japanese and French fovernments, The Covernment of India are
now desirous of effecting its further extension to Pucao, and 1
have been directed by His Yajesty's Principal Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs to enquire whether the Portuguese Government
are prepared for this purpose to negotiate with his Lajesty'a
Covernment on behalf of the dovernment of India a fresh agree-
ment containing the following modifications of the Agreement
signed on June 14, 1913.
His Kajesty's Covernment consider that the allowance of
opium laid down in the Agreement, vis: 260 chests a year for
local consumption, and the limit of 240 obesta a year for ex-
portation from Maeso to countries which do not prohibit the
importation of opium, seema excessive and they would be
glad
*xcellency
The Einister for Foreign Affairs.
1