CO129-465 - Public Offices & Others - 1920 — Page 132

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FLY to LETTERS from the INDIA OFFICE of APRIL 20th., 1920 and APRIL 30th.,

1920.

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1.

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indicate that the

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Policy of the Indian Government is to produce the maximum of revenue from the minimum of consumption. This simply indicates that the Indian Government is proffting in opium and does not Indian Government is desirous of reducing its consumption. (cf. Clementi-Smith's dictum). The tone of the letter suggests that the Indian Government does consider the matter from the point of view of revenue,

and not from that of the Hague Convention, and

its figures indicate that the production has been for years stationary, or on the increase.

།

The Indian Government does not deny Miss La Motte's statement that the Govemment encourages poppy production by lending money without interest for this purpose, nor her quoted statement that this practice is followed in the case of opium alone.

4. Authorised export to China ceased in 1917. The Indian Govern-

ment's own figures indicate that instead of decreasing production in 1915-1916 and 1916-1917 the Government increased the area

under poppy and the production.

5.

Memorandum regarding Miss La Motte's book on the Opium Mono-

poly",

C1.2. "The policy of the Government is to increase. revenueto

the maximum possible extent, consistent with the prevention of

smuggling. illicit production and use and the repression of

consumption.

Prevention of smuggling.

Can the Indian Government explain the capture of many tons of

smuggled opium yearly in the face of its statement, "Indian sk 1

sales to Eastern countries are limited absolutely, to an amount

less than the quantity which these countries took...AREA these

sales are so far as that is possible, made direct to the Government

of the consuming countries. 11

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