CO129-416 - Public Offices - 1914 — Page 101

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diminution of consumption. We understand, on the contrary, that the Dutch East Indian Government, one of our most important customers, have increased their requirements, owing to gradual extension since 1908 of area covered by their monopoly. 4. Our customers outside China appear, on substantial evidence, to have been obliged to obtain Persian and Turkish opium as they could not get enough from us, though Persian and Turkish is less suitable for consumption than Indian (see our despatch of the 18th July, 1912, paragraph 5, and our despatch of the 17th January, 1913, paragraph 9). A still further increase of transhipments of Persian and Turkish opium at Bombay for Hong Kong and Singapore is shown by recent figures (1,905 chests of Persian and 783 Turkish having been so transhipped during January-July 1913). Nor do these transhipments represent entire Persian opium trade with Far East, for political Resident, Persian Gulf, reports that Persian opium merchants have taken, during the past year, to shipping in German vessels via Port Said in preference to transhipping at Bombay.

Competition of Persian Turkish opium is, we hold, serious: last February the Holland Bombay Trading Company, who purchase opium as agents for the Dutch East Indian Government, told us that, in the event of continued restriction of Calcutta market, they will have no choice but to commence buying these opiums; the Straits Government have already resorted to this measure (see our despatch of the 17th January, 1913, paragraph 9).

Our exports of opium to China have ceased and, so far as we have information, there is no longer any smuggling difficulty. We urge respectfully that we should not be pressed with regard to the temporary sacrifices as to non-China trade which we made as a concession to the fear that otherwise China's efforts at suppression might be prejudiced, and that we should not be called upon to sacrifice needlessly the remainder of our legitimate revenue. We do not at present see any reason to think 13,200 chests an excessive export: we regard this figure, on the contrary, as an absolute minimum (see our telegram of the 11th July, 1913) which it will, perhaps, be desirable to raise hereafter, subject, of course, to altered circumstances in the future, and to alterations in the demands of the importing countries.

(Telegraphic.) P.

Enclosure 7 in No. 1.

The Marquess of Crewe to Government of India.

YOUR telegram dated the 26th ultimo :—

India Office, September 17, 1913.

You have my sanction to announce that, subject to reservations mentioned in your telegram of the 11th July, not more than 13,200 chests of uncertificated opium will be

sold in 1914.

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]

C. O.

6406

REC

REG 19 FEB 14

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

January 19.]

SECTION 1.

[2584]

No. 1.

M. van der Goes to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received January 19.)

Légation des Pays-Bas, Londres, M. le Secrétaire d'État,

COMME votre Excellence a bien voulu relever de la liste qui accompagnait mon

le 16 janvier, 1914. office en date du 10 de ce mois, la Convention de l'Opium n'a pas été signée par six Puissances. De ces Puissances, la Bulgarie, la Grèce et l'Uruguay ont consenti à signer, tandis que l'Autriche-Hongrie procédera probablement aussi à la signature. La Turquie persévère dans son refus de signer, tandis que la Serbie a déclaré provisoirement qu'elle ne signera pas.

Conformément aux instructions que je viens de recevoir et pour donner suite au vœu prononcé à la deuxième Conférence de l'Opium-vou déposé sub III dans le protocole de clôture-j'ai l'honneur d'inviter le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté britannique à se faire représenter à la conférence qui sera tenue à La Haye au mois de mai prochain et qui aura pour but d'instituer une enquête concernant la possibilité de faire entrer la convention susmentionnée en vigueur.

[2032 t-1]

Veuillez, &c.

VAN DER GOES.

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