This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[January 13.
SECTION 2.
347
2-5086
[1667]
No. 1.
REC REGS !! FET 09
*
(No. 574.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received January 13, 1909.)
Peking, December 21, 1908. IN the penultimate paragraph of my despatch No. 494 of the 29th October last, transmitting a Memorial presented to the Throne by the Board of Finance upon the opium question, I refuted the statement contained therein that the Hong Kong opium farmer is allowed to boil fifteen cases of opium daily, that less than three cases are required for the Colony's daily consumption, and that the balance is illicitly exported to China.
The Governor of Hong Kong having also drawn my attention to this statement and requested me to take such action as I might deem advisable to procure official rectification, I addressed a note to the Wai-wu Pu and also made verbal repre- sentations setting forth the true facts of the case and asking that steps should be taken to bring them to the notice of those concerned and to insert a notice correcting the error in the public press.
The statement complained of did not appear in the text of the Memorial as published in the Official Gazette, and the Wai-wu Pu promised me to bring the facts to the notice of the Board of Finance and of the Chinese members of the Shanghae Opium Commission.
Copies of the correspondence with Sir F. Lugard and of my Memorandum to the Wai-wu l'u are inclosed herewith for your information.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Sir,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Governor Sir F. Lugard to Sir J. Jordan.
J. N. JORDAN.
Hong Kong, November 25, 1908. WITH reference to the penultimate paragraph of your Excellency's despatch No. 494 of the 29th ultimo, I have the honour to refer you to pp. 3, 7, and 8 of my Memorandum regarding the restriction of opium in Hong Kong and China, a copy of which accompanied my despatch, Confidential, of the 12th instant.
2. From the passages quoted your Excellency will observe that the statement in the Memorial by the Board of Finance that "it appears that in Hong Kong, where the opium imported from abroad is prepared, under the arrangements for sales under official control, fifteen cases daily are disposed of by the Opium Company, while a sa matter of fact less than three cases are required for Hong Kong consumption, the remainder being illicitly exported into China," is entirely false, as your Excellency has not failed to point out in your covering despatch to Sir Edward Grey. I have the honour to invite your Excellency's attention to the slander on this Colony to which the words quoted give currency, and to request you to take such action as you may deem advisable to bring about their withdrawal.
I have, &c. (Signed) F. D. LUGARD.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Memorandum.
A MEMORIAL of the Board of Finance on the subject of opium, which was approved by Imperial Rescript on the 4th October, contains the following
statement-
[2090 n
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