This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE,
CONFIDENTIAL.
[39934]
No. 1.
644
[November 16.]
SECTION 2.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received November 16.)
(No. 465.) Sir,
Peking, October 21, 1908. IN connection with the Opium Commission which is to assemble at Shanghae on the 1st January, 1909, I have the honour to inform you that, under instructions from the Chinese Government that a member of the Customs Service should be associated with the Chinese Commissioners to assist them in making preliminary inquiries in anticipation of the sitting of the Commission, the Acting Inspector-General of Customs has nominated for this duty Mr. J. L. Chalmers, the Acting Statistical Secretary, and he has issued a Circular, copy of which is inclosed, instructing Commissioners of Customs and Posts to study the subject of opium in its various aspects in China and report to the Acting Statistical Secretary before the end of November.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Sir,
Inclosure in No. 1.
Postal Circular No. 198.
J. N. JORDAN,
Instructions to Commissioners of Customs and Posts in China respecting Opium.
Inspectorate-General of Posts, Peking, August 31, 1908. YOU will probably have learned from the public press that a Commission is to assemble at Shanghae in January next to discuss certain questions regarding opium.
2. The Chinese Government has appointed certain officials to make preliminary inquiries in anticipation of the sitting of the Commission, So far the officials known to me in this connection are Mr. Liu Yü-lin, formerly Consul-General in South Africa, and Dr. Kwan, a Chinese physician educated on Western lines.
3. The Government and the Shui-wu Ch'u instruct me accordingly that a member of the Customs Service be associated with the Commission, and as it is more particularly desirable that he should assist it on questions of statistics I have nominated the Acting Statistical Secretary, Mr. Chalmers, for this duty.
4. In order that he may be able to do as much as possible in furtherance of the object in view, I have to instruct the various Commissioners to study this question and furnish the Statistical Secretary with a Report—to reach him as soon as possible, and certainly before the end of November—in which will be embodied all the up-to-date information you can possibly collect on the subject of opium. On points on which the Report will touch it will be well that you distinguish between what you have learned from official sources, what from good Chinese, and what from other sources.
5. As to the points which will probably be taken up by this Commission, I understand from a despatch of the American Minister, on the suggestion of whose Government this Commission will assemble, that they will be more especially the following:
(1.) The importation of opium and all its derivatives.
(2.) The consumption of opium.
(3.) The manufacture and use of opium in all its forms, including—
(4.) Morphins, its use and sources of supply, &c.
(5.) The cultivation of the poppy.
(6.) All laws and regulations regarding the use of opium or the cessation of its use, whether the same emanate from local officials or from the Central Government.
6. Following these points seriatim, the following queries suggest themselves:
(1.) Where does opium in your district come from? How much native opium does it appear comes from other, and which, provinces?
[2020 g---2]