CO129-411 - Governor Sir May - 1914 [5-7] — Page 51

NA CONFIDENTIAL.

Duful

20465

13

GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

$

HONGKONG. 12th. May, 1914.

Sir,

REG 5 JUN14]

3:318.

With reference to your Confidential Despatch

of the 18th. of February and to previous correspondence, I have the honour to transmit for your information an extract, with translation, from the Official Journal of Indo-China of the 26th. of March last, copy of which was lent to me by the courtesy of the French Consul-General here, containing regulations governing the aale of raw and prepared opium by the Government Monopoly which has now been established at Kwang-chau-wan.

2.

Under these regulations the Monopoly may sell

an unlimited quantity of raw and prepared opium. Monsieur Liébert informs me, however, that at present the quantity of raw opium offered for a sale is limited to 40 chesta per mensem. On the

other hand the Superintendent of Imports and Exports reports that early in April the Monopoly sold 120 chests at $5,500 per chest. He corroborates the French Consul-General that future sales will, until further notice, be limited to 40 chests a month.

3.

No questions seem to be asked by the Monopoly as to the disposal of the raw opium sold by it. Mr. Hutchison reports that according to his information a Chinese Merchant at Sheklung near Canton recently purchased 2 chests of raw opium coming from Kwang-chau-wan at 87,000 a chest. Raw opium purchased at 85,500 per chest could be sold at a good profit in this Colony.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

&C..

LEWIS HARCOURT, H.P..

&c..

&c...

The