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Naturally, it is an advantage to deal direct
with Hamasie. I believe that the Bingapore authorities
feel this, though perhaps they would be reluctant to
admit it officially. On the one occasion on which Siam
purchased Persian opium (1110 chests) Namazie quoted
substantially lower prices than did the Jews.
Namazie is neither better nor worse than the
other dealers, with the general character of whose
operations I have had special opportunities of being
acquainted since about 1910. He differs from them in
being (a) in better touch with the Persian reder (b)
much less well-educated. To the whole lot of them the
ides of being deterred by conscientious scruples from
doing a promising piece of business, is unintclligible.
What would restrain them is fear of being found out and,
in appraising eccurately the precire degree of danger
involved, J.A.Elias (a prominent and respected citizen of
Singapore) is probably the cleverest.
Colonel Haworth's letter is to me particularly
interesting because it corroborates the view held by me
since this matter began.
To boycott N. and to cleare
to the Jews would serve no useful purpose, but would be
of the nature of eye-wash.
The whole business is a dirty one. It was not
from choice that Siam bought opium from one of the
Singapore deɛlers. She would have been quite content
to continue purchasing from India; the price, it is true,
was extremely high, but the supply was assured and the
epium is pure. India's impulsive gesture, which carned
such easy applause at Geneva, has forced Siam to take
measures