CO129-464 - Public Offices - 1920 — Page 334

Enclosure in Sird. Carnegier No. 40 of Fehmary 7. 1920

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K18 BRITANTIC HAJESTY'S LEGATION,

LISBON, February 7, 1920.

J. I

Youm zoallanoy;-

Agreements have in recent years been concluded between the

Government of India and the Governmenta of 3iam, the Dutch Rast

Indies, tiongkong, the Etraits Dettlements and British forth Bor-

neo whereby the export of Indian opium to those countries takes

place under a system of direct sales to the Governments of the

importing countries, which state the amount of their legitimate

annual requirements and thus relieve the Government of India of

any suspicion of supplying excessive quantities, An extension of

this system to Japan and Indo-China has lately been proposed to

the Japanese and French fovernments, The Covernment of India are

now desirous of effecting its further extension to Pucao, and 1

have been directed by His Yajesty's Principal Secretary of State

for Foreign Affairs to enquire whether the Portuguese Government

are prepared for this purpose to negotiate with his Lajesty'a

Covernment on behalf of the dovernment of India a fresh agree-

ment containing the following modifications of the Agreement

signed on June 14, 1913.

His Kajesty's Covernment consider that the allowance of

opium laid down in the Agreement, vis: 260 chests a year for

local consumption, and the limit of 240 obesta a year for ex-

portation from Maeso to countries which do not prohibit the

importation of opium, seema excessive and they would be

glad

*xcellency

The Einister for Foreign Affairs.

1