4
on
Capy 5 W Strang (20) 8 JAN 1927 30046/27.
S.0.383.
24th December, 1926.
Aw16.
Dear Paskin,
Thank you for your letter of the 11th enclosing a copy
of a despatch from Hong Kong on the subject of an opium syndicate in the Colony and draft of a despatch from the Governor on the subject of the facilities to be accorded to Nema zee.
The despatch and its enclosures from Hong Kong are very interesting and there is information in them which will be useful to the Opium Advisory Committee of the League. I propose therefore to ask the Foreign Office to communicate to the Secretariat of the League, for the information of the Advisory Committee, the substance of the information in the despatch and its enclosure, with the omission of the names and addresses as desired by the Governor. I understand from the last paragraph but one of your letter to me that the Colonial Office have no objection to this being done.
As regards Nemazee, I have discussed the matter again with Sir John Anderson. We cannot agree with the line taken in the draft despatch which you enclose and hold the view strongly that no facilities should be given to Nema zee or members of his family or firm which could in any way facilitate then trafficking in opium or drugs. We consider that the Colonial Office is looking at the matter in the wrong light. Nemazee makes a claim that he
and his branch in Hong Kong have gone out of the opium business
and the Colonial Office take the view that that claim must be
J.J. Paskin, Esq., M.C.
19