685
C. 63017/29 [No. 65].
SIR,
206.
No. 182.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.
(Confidential (2).)
[Answered by No. 186.]
Downing Street, 6th June, 1929. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram of the 29th of May,* on the subject of the purchase of Persian opium and to enclose for your informa- tion a copy of a lettert to the Crown Agents for the Colonies instructing them to proceed as suggested by you.
2. It has been assumed that the two tenders to be submitted are to be alterna- tives. The amount to be delivered this year has been reduced from 600 to 450 chests, as this will keep the total supplies for the year 1929 within the limits authorized after consultation with you last year. There will remain 750 chests to be delivered next vear. It is probable that the successful tenderer, if any tender is accepted, will wish to effect delivery, or, at any rate shipment from Persia, before the end of the Persian financial year in March, 1930, in case the export charges may be increased then, but it seemed desirable to fix some time limit within which the total shipment should be effected, and I have therefore fixed this at the 31st of May, as that is the date by which you would normally require the total of 1.200 chests at the present rate of 150 chests a month.
3. If arrangements should be made for the purchase of 1,200 chests as suggested the fact that 750 chests will probably be imported during the first three months of the year 1930 will be taken into consideration in fixing the purchases to be authorized for that year. I take this opportunity of reminding you that I shall be glad to receive not later than the end of September particulars of your anticipated requirements of Persian opium in 1930, and the manner in which you propose to meet them in order that a programme for that year may be approved in good time.
I have, &c..
C. 63017/29 [No. 67].
No. 183.
L. S. AMERY.
CROWN AGENTS FOR THE COLONIES to COLONIAL OFFICE.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to inform you that, at the request of the Government of the Straits Settlements, tenders were issued by us for the supply of 150 chests of opium for delivery at Singapore before the end of September, 1929. Messrs. Hadji Ali Akbar and Sons, Messrs. Bellairs, Atkinson and Co., and Messrs. Andrew Weir and Co., submitted quotations, and the tender received from Messrs. Bellairs, Atkinson and Co., who quoted £155 per chest of 140 lb. net, being the lowest, has been accepted by us on instructions from the Colonial Government. The telegram from the Colonial Government also asks us to await instructions before issuing further tenders.
4, Millbank, Westminster, London, S.W.1, 6th June, 1929.
I have, &c.,
W. A. F. WICKHART
(for Crown Agents).
207
C. 63017/29 [No. 72].
No. 184.
SIR M. DELEVINGNE (HOME OFFICE) to SIR G. GRINDLE (Colonial Office). MY DEAR GRINDLE,
Home Office, 20th June, 1929.
I ENCLOSE a copy of a letter which I have received from the official representa- tive of the Opium Monopoly Administration of Persia, who has apparently been sent to Europe to arrange for direct sales between the Monopoly and the interested Govern- ments, and has been introduced to me by the Persian Minister at Paris. I think I told you at the time that I had some conversation here last September with the Persian Minister at Paris (who was one of the Persian Delegates to the Assembly), and said we should be glad to know what the intentions of the Persian authorities were as regards direct sales by the Opium Monopoly. I have been here for the last three weeks attending the meeting of the International Labour Conference, but expect to be home on Monday, the 24th, and perhaps we might take an early opportunity of discussing the letter of M. Kitabgi.
SIR MALCOLM Delevingne,
Yours, &c.,
MALCOLM DELEVINGNE.
Enclosure in No. 184.
26, Rue Bayard VIII*,
Paris, 5th June, 1929.
ETANT Délégué du Monpole d'Etat Persan de l'Opium, je me permets de vous écrire sous les auspices de S.E. Hossein Khan Ala, Ministre de S.M.I. le Schah à Paris, dont vous trouverez ci-joint la carte d'introduction.
S.E. Ala m'a dit que lors de votre rencontre à la S.D.N. à Geneve, vous aviez exprimé le désir de savoir s'il était possible d'acheter au Monopole Persan l'Opium nécessaire pour les fumeries des Straits Settlements. délégué en Europe à l'effet de conclure des marchés de ce genre. Si donc cette question Or il se trouve que je suis vous intéresse encore, je me tiens à votre entière disposition pour vous faire des offres au nom et pour compte du Monopole. Je vous prierai, dans cette éventualité, de bien vouloir me donner les renseignements suivants :-
(1) quantités demandées.
(2) titres en morphine.
date de livraison.
Je me permets de signaler à votre attention les faits suivants: d'une part, grâce
à une nouvelle organisation, nous serons en mesure de vous offrir des prix C.I.F. Singapore pour toutes quantités que vous pourriez désirer; d'autre part il nous est possible de passer avec vous un contrat de livraison de plusieurs années.
Il est bien entendu que, si les offres que je pourrais vous faire vous paraissaient intéressantes, je me rendrais à Londres pour en discuter avec vous et arriver à la conclusion d'un accord.
Dans l'attente de vous lire, je vous prie d'agréer, Sir Malcolm Delevingne, l'expression de ma très haute consideration.
Le Délégué de Monopole d'Etat de l'Opium.
Sir Malcolm Delevingne,
Home Office,
DJEHANGUIR KHAN KITABGI.
1
* No. 181.
+ C. 63017/29 [No. 64]: not printed.
Whitehall, London.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :--
PELLIC.O.882/11
mmimwim
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON