No
CONFIDENTIAL.
Sir,
64
30049
58
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG.
22nd July, 1927.
I have the honour to confirm my Confidential
telegram of 13th June and to acknowledge your telegraphic
reply of 30th June, relating to a request of the acao
Government for a small supply of raw Indian Upium with which
to open its official opium factory on July 1st.
2.
This request made to me originally by the
Consul-General for Portugal, was later expanded by the
>
Governor of Macao in his letter of 22nd June (of which i
Enclosure No. attach a copy) into the broad proposal that the Macao
Government should look to this colony for its entire supply
of Indian Upium.
3.
>
This letter formed the basis of an interview
which 1 gave to Mr. Cormona, the representative of the Lacao
Government, on 24th June. I then pointed out that the
quota of Indian Opium allowed for the current year to this
Colony was 220 chests and that that amount was to be reduced
annually by 10% until 1936, when the entire supply would cease.
The population of this colony was 800,000 and it would,
therefore, be difficult for me to support on behalf of Macao,
whose population, on his own estimate, did not exceed 150,000,
an annual quota of 225 chests. 1 accordingly suggested that
he should ascertain whether this estimate was not in excess of
local
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
LIEUTENANT COLONEL L.C.M.S.,AMERY, M.P.,
&c.,
&c.,
&C.