CO129-502-10 Macao opium traffic 6-12-1926 - 7-12-1927 — Page 140

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HOME OFFICE,

WHITEHALL, 9.W.1.

30th March, 1927.

140

443,088/84.

sir.

I am directed by Secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks to refer to your letter of the 24th instant (F.2269/310/87) enclosing a draft of a despatch to H.M.Representative at Lisbon in regard to the importation of Indian opium into Macao, and to say, for the information of Secretary Sir Austen Chamberlain, that he does not think that much

stress can be laid on the provision in the Geneva Agreement of 1925

prohibiting re-exportation, as that Agreement only took effect as from 28th July last year, and was therefore not in operation during the greater part of the period covered by the Home Office letter of the

2nd instant. He would suggest that in place of the last part of the

draft despatch, from the words "It is true that Portugal" down to the end of the draft, a passage as in the enclosure herewith should be inserted. It appears to him that inquiries can be addressed by H.M. Representative to the Portuguese authorities on the lines indicated in the suggested passage without giving the Portuguese authorities any ground for complaint or resentment, though they may not like the inquiries, and it would be difficult for them to refuse the information

necessary for the detection of the possible contraventions against the

Hague Convention in view of the obligations which they have undertaken as parties to that Convention. However that may be, it appears to Sir William Joynson-Hicks to be of the first importance to get to the

bottom of these transactions in Indian opium as disclosed by the Portuguese

reports.

1 am,

The Under Secretary of State,

FOREIGN OFFICE.

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

(Send) MALCOLM DELEVINGNE.

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