CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 703

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No.82.

701

BRITISH CONSULATE,

VLADIVOSTOK.

November 18th, 1922.

with reference to my despatch No.56 of July 4th and previous correspondesej

on the subject of the importation of opium into Vladivostok, I have the honou

to report that Mr. R. McDermid, the local representative of Messrs. Nemazae and

Company, Hongkong, called on me this afternoon and informed me that he had obtained from the local authorities a permit on which he proposed to import in

the immediate future two hundred cases of opium from India. He asked that I

should notify the Government of India that his firm held this permit, and

explained that if I would do so, he was prepared to advance to the local

authorities, who were badly in need of money, the sum of one hundred thousand Yen out of the total sum of one hundred and seventy five thousand Yen which

would be due to them under the contract.

I enquired as to the destination of the op um and suggested that it was

intended to re-ship it into China. He said he did not know, but was frank

enough to admit that it would probably find its way into China.

to explain why it could not be shipped direct to China.

He was unɛ

I told him that I could not comply with his request as my instructions way quite definite to discourage the trade in every possible way. I also poin

out that the province itself grew far more opium than was needed for local

so that there was obviously no necessity for importing any. Moreover, the

Redathorities on October 30th had issued an order that all opium dens were

be closed.

He went on to say that his firm were large exporters of opium from India

and Persia to Japan and in view of India's need of revenue suggested that I

might refer the matter for decision to Your Excellency and the Foreign Office.,

I told him there was no doubt whatever that the result would be the same.

He then said that he had hoped to be able to import this lot of opium from India, but that if that were impossible it would have to come from Persia.

Incidentally, I learn that the Alde de camp, SAFRAZYAN, of the Red Commander-in-Chief, UBAREVITCH, who both left for Chita and Rosoow a few days is a nephew of SOGRANIAN, the Armenian, who did his best to import large quantities of opium several months ago. On SAFRAZYAN'S arrival here, SOBRANT had mooted the question of obtaining a monopoly for the district, and according to my informant, he is working in co-operation with Messrs. Nemagee and

Company.

ago,

(Sgd.) G.P. PATON.