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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
C
16765
OPIUM.
REC
REGE 8 MAY 14,
CONFIDENTIAL.
[April 1.]
SECTION 1.
[14604]
No. 1.
(No. 61.)
(Telegraphic.) P.
Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan.
Foreign Office, April 1, 1914.
MY telegram No. 47 of 17th March. The price of opium at Hong Kong and Treaty Ports is steadily rising. This indicates that the merchants intend to extract from the middlemen the highest monopoly price they can, and that instead of getting rid of their stocks they mean to hold them back.
You should advise the merchants to take advantage of the market while they can and warn them that the five provinces will probably soon be closed. Otherwise they might say that they had not received sufficient notice of closure and claim compensation.
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