Copy.
Reference 535,671/37.
Home Office,
Whitehall, S.W.1.
3rd December, 1929.
Dear Colonel Nutt,
On the 39th June, amongst other reports, you sent
me a copy of the seizure report No. 10423 dated June 12th,
1929, in regard to the seizure of opium prepared for
smoking ex the British s.s "Ixion" at Seattle on June 6th.
On the receipt of this report I caused enquiries to be made
of Messrs. Alfred Holt & Co. of Liverpool, who are the
Managers of the China Mutual Steam Navigation Company to
which the s.s "Ixion" belongs.
The reports of the Captain and other officers of
the vessel showed that the opium was found by the American
Customs (who seemed to be in possession of previous
information in regard to it) under the floor of the anchor
chain locker buried under about 120 fathom of cable,
weighing 20 tons, which had to be removed before the opium
could be reached. As only thirty fathon of cable had been
paid out at any one time since the last yearly survey of
the vessel at Hongkong in February last (the surreptitious
removal of the chain would have been impossible as the
necessary operations are extremely noisy and shake the
vessel from stem to stern) it is clear that the opium had
laid concealed since before February, and it appears
probable that it had been placed on board whilst the vessel
was in dry dock in Hongkong for the last survey.
Adequate precautions seem to be taken by the
Colonel L.G. Nutt.
China/
60