CO129-502-10 Macao opium traffic 6-12-1926 - 7-12-1927 — Page 64

No

CONFIDENTIAL.

Sir,

64

30049

58

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONGKONG.

22nd July, 1927.

I have the honour to confirm my Confidential

telegram of 13th June and to acknowledge your telegraphic

reply of 30th June, relating to a request of the acao

Government for a small supply of raw Indian Upium with which

to open its official opium factory on July 1st.

2.

This request made to me originally by the

Consul-General for Portugal, was later expanded by the

>

Governor of Macao in his letter of 22nd June (of which i

Enclosure No. attach a copy) into the broad proposal that the Macao

Government should look to this colony for its entire supply

of Indian Upium.

3.

>

This letter formed the basis of an interview

which 1 gave to Mr. Cormona, the representative of the Lacao

Government, on 24th June. I then pointed out that the

quota of Indian Opium allowed for the current year to this

Colony was 220 chests and that that amount was to be reduced

annually by 10% until 1936, when the entire supply would cease.

The population of this colony was 800,000 and it would,

therefore, be difficult for me to support on behalf of Macao,

whose population, on his own estimate, did not exceed 150,000,

an annual quota of 225 chests. 1 accordingly suggested that

he should ascertain whether this estimate was not in excess of

local

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LIEUTENANT COLONEL L.C.M.S.,AMERY, M.P.,

&c.,

&c.,

&C.