In any further communication
gon this subject, please quote
No. F 2403/17/0.
and address,
but to
not to any person by name,
"The Under-Borstary of State,"
Foreign Office,
London, S.W.1.
trait
sir,
REC
C
60033
REG 8 DEC 20
انيها
hage 125
FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.1.
2nd December, 1920.
this
I am directed by Earl Curzon of Kedleston to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Charge d'Affaires at Peking, forwarding copy of a letter from the Secretary of the International Anti-Opium Association enclosing coples of correspondence with the India Office on the subject
of Opium.
2. Copy of Mr. Clive's despatch is being forwarded to the
India Office with a request for the observations of the
Secretary of State for India as to the reason for the increase in the exports of Indian opium to Hongkong during the year 1919, and also as to the existence of the large number of chests exported "privately", in view of the statement made in paragraph 4 (III) of the Memorandum enclosed in the India Office letter
of April 20th, 1920, to the Peking Anti-Opium Association that "these sales are, so far as that is possible, made direct to the
Governments of the consuming countries".
3. I am also directed to refer to the letter from the
Colonial Office No.64146/19 of December 8th, 1919 stating that
in the opinion of the Officer Administering the Goverment of
Hongkong it would be very undesirable to make a public announce-
ment that it was proposed to abolish the Hongkong Opium Monopoly
altogether within a definite period; and that a reply was
being awaited from the Officer Administering the Government of
the Straits Settlements as to the desirability of taking a
similar step in the case of the Opium Monopoly at Singapore.
I am further to invite a reference to the letter from this
Office No.46948/10F of April 2nd 1919, stating that Lord
Curzon was unable to concur in a statement that there was
The Under-Secretary of State,
no thing/
Colonial Office.
1