CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922 — Page 479

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70

In an further communication

un this nabject, please quote

No. F 3709/1337/10

And address,

but to-

not in du paraya by name,

"The Under-Beovebery of State,"

Foreign Offlue.

1544809

You

61908771

sir,

London, 8, W.1.

62395

IRL 19 DEC 22

477

FOREIGN OFFICE. S.#.1.

16th December, 1922.

With reference to your letter No. 54809/1922 of the

15th November and previous correspondence regarding the

transhipment at Hong Kong of certain consignments of Turkish

opium destined for Formosa, I am directed by the Secretary of

State for Foreign Affairs to state that he has been informed

by the Home Office that the Governor of Hong Kong has declared,

in reply to enquiries, that these consignments were not on

through bills of lading.

2. It is observed at the same time that Sir R.E. Stubbs

states in his despatch to Mr. Churchill of the 12th October

1921, copy of which was forwarded to the Foreign Office under cover of Colonial Office letter No. 61908/21 of the 19th

December 1921 that 'Hong Kong is now in no sense an entrepôt

for this (1.e. Persian and Turkish) opium, the facilities

offered being merely those of transhipment on through bills

of lading."

3. The report from the Governor of Hong Kong as

indicated by the Home Office, conveys the impression that

the facilities offered by Hong Kong now include more than mere

transhipment on through bills of lading; and the Secretary of State would be glad to learn what precisely is the procedure

adopted in that colony with regard to the transhipment or

re-export of opium. So long as it continues to be the policy of His Majesty's Government not to allow the export of opium

from/

!

The Under Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.