CO129-484 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1924 [1-7] — Page 138

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Similarly it is notorious that the amount of opium shipped

to Macao, Dairen and Vladivostock is enormously in excess of any possible requirements for local consumption and every-

body knows that the great bulk of these shipments is intend-

ed to be smuggled into China, But, here again, I am not

aware of the existence of a shred of legal evidence and I

submit that so long as the requirements of the authorities

at the port of destination are complied with there is no

possibility of obtaining in any court a conviction for illicit trading.

4. In order that there may be no possible doubt on

the matter I have the honour to request that the whole of

the information relating to Mr. Nemazee's transactions

which is in possession of the Home Office may be placed

before the Law Officers of the Crown and that they may be

asked to advise what steps, if any, can be taken to bring

him before the courts. I will take not only readily but

with alacrity any steps which the Law Officers state to be possible in Hongkong. If, however, they report that there is no evidence of any offence against the law, I submit that His Majesty's Government have a very clear answer to any charge that may be brought against them at the

Conference next November.

5,

The idea that any evidence against Mr. Nemazee can be obtained by an examination of his correspondence in Hongkong may be abandoned at once. Mr. Nemazee has been for some time resident in Shiraz and I gather that there is no prospect of his returning to Hongkong in the near future. Obviously the centre of his operations is in Persia and it

is wholly unnecessary for him to correspond with his firm here, now under the charge of his nephew, with regard to transactions in opium which does not come within the waters