CO129-502-10 Macao opium traffic 6-12-1926 - 7-12-1927 — Page 59

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which a break down of the efforts of the

Macao Government to establish an

efficient control of opium there, would

have on the smuggling of opium into

Hong Kong. Whatever happens in Macao,

Hong Kong will continue to be flooded

with Chinese opium.

On the other hand the possibility

of a financial and administrative

collapse of the Macao Government is a more

serious matter. This is mainly a matter

C

for the Foreign Office, who may possibly

be in a position to say whether the

Portuguese Government is likely (or to

what extent it may be able) to step in

and save the situation. But the

possibility of a collapse in Macao is

obviously of great importance to our

neighbouring Colony, particularly in view

of the chaos in South China.

For this reason, if there were any

prospect