23. 7.0.
29= July:27.
7
of French
Indo China),
(Employment of 12. A. Namazie
the Goul: of
lez
In this case again, I should have
thought that it would have been more polite
if the Home Office had consulted the Colonial
Office before suggesting this action.
In
particular the last sentence of their letter
of 12/7 is rather sweeping. The only
"instructions" ere those given to the Straits
Settlements Government last year. We have
said nothing to North Borneo or Sarawak.
I have had it in mind for some time,
but have deferred making any suggestion in
view of the fact that we had hoped, before
this, to settle the question of the procedure
by which the Straits Settlements Government
is to obtain its supplies of Persian opium in
the future.
Inter alia, one of the matters to be
considered is whether any scheme of co-opera-
tive purchase is desirable or practicable.
Even if no such scheme should emerge in
The
connection with Siam (from which the suggestion
emanates) or the N.E.I., it might well be
advisable for the British Far Eastern Colonies
and Protectorates to pool their orders.
question of individuals to employ or avoid
could then have been dealt with in the
communications which would have had to be
sent to North Borneo and Sarawak.
In view of this present correspondence,
however, it seems no longer possible to defer
saying something to North Borneo and the N.E.I.
Otherwise, on receipt of the suggest ed
communication