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My Lord Duke,
339
GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
HONGKONG. 3rd November, 1923.
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Grace's secret despatch of the 17th September 70
relative to the trade in opium between Persia and the Far 4320Y Bast.
Lov
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2.
As I have suggested in the concluding paragraph of my confidential despatch of the 5th October I submit that the only method of dealing with the problem is by control at the source. In this connection I would invite reference to Sir Henry May's despatch No.232 of the 22nd June, 1915, his telegram of the 18th March, 1916, and
For 3082416/15 for 303
H/10164/16. United Kingdom which was presented by Messrs, Alfred Holt
and Company to His Majesty's Government in 1916. It will be remembered that this Government was powerless to deal with the enormous traftio in opium smuggled into the Colony from the United Kingdom, until His Majesty's Government finally prohibited export from the United Kingdom, whereupon the traffic immediately ceased,
the Memorial on the subject of smuggling opium from the
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3.
As regards Messrs. Nemazee's transactions,
I would refer to the correspondence with the firm which was enclosed in my despatch No.319 of the 9th October. Vesers. Nemazee appear to be carrying on a legitimate trade, shipping opium openly in British bottoms to Macao, Vladivostock, and
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
other
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THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE, K.G..
&c..
$C..