CO129-508-7 Opium on Macao market 10-1-1928 - 9-11-1928 — Page 85

Home Office,

Whitehall,

2

85

S.W.1.

3.0.150.

(514,096/8).

RECEIVE 6MAN 1938

COL. OFFIC

5th March, 1928.

30049/27

No 33

12

My dear Grindle,

We have ceased to receive, through you, from the

Government of Hong Kong the monthly Macao opium returns.

The last which appears to have reached us was the return for

April 1927, which was forwarded by the Governor in his

confidential despatch of the 10th May. It is possible, of

course, that the Goverment of Macao has discontinued these

returns. If, however, they are still being made or if the

information is available from other sources, it is very

important that we should get them, particularly in connection

with the question of the leakage of Indian opium from Indo-China.

This question, as you know, is coming up at the April meeting

of the Opium Advisory Committee.

Is it too much to ask you to

have a cable sent to Hong Kong at once, asking whether the returns

not, whether are still being made or if the information as to the imports of

opium in Macao is otherwise available; and, if so, requesting

the Governor to cable the amounts for the last six months of 1927

and for the present year so far as known, distinguishing Indian

and other kinds of opium; the full returns to follow by mail?

You may be interested to hear that the Fortuguese Government

have reported to the League of Nations a seizure, on a small Chinese

pake

made

vessel on October 20th, 1927, by the Inspectors of Customs

and Excise at Macao, of a number of boxes containing 80,120 taels

Sir Gilbert Grindle, K.C..G., C.B.