CO129-502-9 Opium traffic- activities of Nemazee family 1-12-1926 - 27-10-1927 — Page 29

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Naturally, it is an advantage to deal direct

with Hamasie. I believe that the Bingapore authorities

feel this, though perhaps they would be reluctant to

admit it officially. On the one occasion on which Siam

purchased Persian opium (1110 chests) Namazie quoted

substantially lower prices than did the Jews.

Namazie is neither better nor worse than the

other dealers, with the general character of whose

operations I have had special opportunities of being

acquainted since about 1910. He differs from them in

being (a) in better touch with the Persian reder (b)

much less well-educated. To the whole lot of them the

ides of being deterred by conscientious scruples from

doing a promising piece of business, is unintclligible.

What would restrain them is fear of being found out and,

in appraising eccurately the precire degree of danger

involved, J.A.Elias (a prominent and respected citizen of

Singapore) is probably the cleverest.

Colonel Haworth's letter is to me particularly

interesting because it corroborates the view held by me

since this matter began.

To boycott N. and to cleare

to the Jews would serve no useful purpose, but would be

of the nature of eye-wash.

The whole business is a dirty one. It was not

from choice that Siam bought opium from one of the

Singapore deɛlers. She would have been quite content

to continue purchasing from India; the price, it is true,

was extremely high, but the supply was assured and the

epium is pure. India's impulsive gesture, which carned

such easy applause at Geneva, has forced Siam to take

measures