191
677
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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Reference :-
C.O.882/11
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON]
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
C. 53017/A/28 [No. 28].
No. 153:
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT to
(Paraphrase.)
THE SECRETARY OF STATE."
(Received 9.15 a.m., 10th September, 1928.)
2
TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 154.]
10TH SEPTEMBER. My telegram of 27th August.* Opium.
I understand from Consul-General at Bushire that sharp rise in price is expected possibly as much as 500 rupees per chest. Have received offer from J. A. Elias of Singapore to supply 400 chests 8 per cent. morphine for shipment in November and December at 227 pounds sterling for chest of one hundred and forty pounds. Offer is open till noon 13th Sepember, 1928. I strongly advise accepting and shall be glad of telegraphic approval. I have not yet received your despatcht mentioned in your telegram of 18th August. As to Elias see my telegram of 22nd May.§ I presume Crown Agents will in due course telegraph details for import permit required by Bellairs, Atkinson and Company.
C. 53017/A/28 [No. 30].
No. 154.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT.
(Paraphrase.)
(Sent 6.40 p.m., 11th September, 1928.)
TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 155.]
YOUR telegram 10th of September. Opium. I am not clear why you should desire to make further purchases at present Elias's offer being presumably for delivery before next March. I consider for reasons, both political and commercial, explained in my despatch of 30th of August that it would be preferable to await developments before entering into any further commitments. You are in a position to do so, as I understand supplies now arranged will last up to the end of 1929. The only reason for accepting Elias's offer is apparently the expectation that prices will rise in the near future. As, however, you need not purchase immediately, the deciding factor is not whether Elias's price is lower than prices will be next month, but whether it is lower than prices will be when it again becomes necessary for you to go into the market, that is in, say, 6 months' time. It seems impossible to forecast this. It may be added that although the Consul-General, Bushire, has no doubt good reasons for anticipating a rise in prices, Elias's information is generally equally good, and from the fact that he is anxious to sell now it may be assumed that he anticipates any per- manent increase in price. All things considered I would therefore prefer that for the present you should make no further purchases.--ÅMERY.
-
C. 53017/A/28 [No. 31].
No. 155.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT to
(Paraphrase.)
THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Received 12.40 p.m., 12th September, 1928.)
TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 156.]
12TH SEPTEMBER. Your telegram 11th September.* Supply of opium. Please refer to my telegram 4th July. I consider postponing purchase for six months on a rising market will be running grave risk. There are no indications here that price is likely to fall after March, 1929, but rather contrary. It is most important to have ample supplies at any time to guard against risk of unacceptable deliveries and nine months' supply of opium is not considered by Wilson to be sufficient.
C. 53017/A/28 [No. 32].
No. 156.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE
(Paraphrase.)
GOVERNMENT.
(Sent 7.45 p.m., 12th September, 1928.)
TELEGRAM.
YOUR telegram of 12th September.‡ Supply of opium. My intention in my telegram of 11th September* was not to rule that no further purchases should be made during next 6 months, but only to suggest that as the period during which it might be possible for you to keep out of the market. All I wished to insist upon was that before buying more you should consider the position generally in the light of my despatch of 30th August. § I shall then be prepared to approve any purchases of reasonable amount. It would probably be desirable to prepare a buying programme for some period ahead which would obviate repeated references to me as to individual purchases and consequent delays. I cannot for reasons other than questions of price and supply approve at present your accepting Elias's offer, but hope shortly to send a further telegram.-AMERY.
C. 53017/A/28 [No. 33].
No. 157.
SIR G. GRINDLE (COLONIAL OFFICE) to SIR M. DELEVINGNE (HOME OFFICE). [Answered by No. 158.]
MY DEAR DELEVINGNE,
Downing Street, 14th September, 1928.
I ENCLOSE paraphrases of telegrams exchanged with the Straits regarding a further proposal for the purchase of opium. As you will see they are disposed to be nervous about the future and want to assure their position by increasing their stocks. We think they would do better to wait and have told them so in our recent despatch, but so far as merely commercial considerations are involved we should not in the last resort overrule them. The deciding factor in our refusal of approval in this case was the fear that it might embarrass you at Geneva. Perrins gave us to understand that it might well do so, and since, owing to the very short notice the Straits gave us it was impossible to consult you, we decided to refuse to let them accept Elias's offer. As you will see, however, we have promised a further telegram shortly, and we want to know whether you see any grave objection to further purchases in the near
* No. 151.
No. 152.
No. 150.
§ No. 137.
|| No. 153.
* No. 154.
† No. 147.
‡ No. 155.
§ No. 152.
Nos. 153, 154, 155 and 156.