ļ
GOPY.
7th December,
1923.
Sir P. Loraine to Lord Curzon, Tehran,
December 4th, 1923.
OPIUK FRAFFIC,
525
In reply to your Lordship's telegram of November 29th I have only just received the adviser's full statement which I shall send by the next mail. I much regret the delay that has arisen, but it was necessary for him to collect certain inf mation. The following is a brief resume of the report on the general question of opium in this country.
The adviser reaches the conclusion that an immediate embargo on shipments of opium from Persia would serve no humanitarian purpose, because he believes that although the proposed restrictions oz British shipping would result in stopping, shipments of opium from this country, the immediate result would be that a number of Fersian merchants who
have maue advance sales would become bankrupt, the amount of opium for consumption in the country would be increased, the peasants would suffer and there would be serious legal difficulties arising over the non-
fulfillment of contracte, He reaches the further conclusion that the
policy of reducing the evil in one country would merely lead to its increase in another and no compensating advantages would be secured for the disastrous economic effects produced.
In view of these conclusions I would venture to suggest that no
aotion should be taken at present, but that the matter should be reconsidered when Your Lordship has had the opportunity of reading the adviser's full statement.