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that any restriction of its sale goes beyond the scope of the arrangement which has been made for the gradual diminution of its export from India.
An examination of the Regulations issued at Canton and in Kiangnan.shows that the apprehensions of the importers of foreign opium are well-founded. The arrange- ment between Great Britain and China contemplates a gradual decrease in the export from India, but leaves the trade in China subject to existing Treaty provisions, and under these circumstances the application of prohibitive measures against the sale of raw 'opium imported by British firms is not only not sanctioned by any agreement between the two Governments, but constitutes an infringement of the Treaty provisions which preclude the establishment of a monopoly,
I have the honour to request, therefore, that the provincial authorities in question may be called upon to exclude foreign opium from the clauses in their Regulations which apply to the wholesale trade.
I avail, &c.
(Signed)
Inclosure 7 in No. 1.
J. N. JORDAN,
Memorial by Tai-pu, Tartar General at Ning-hsia, with reference to the Prohibition of Opium.
(Translation.)
(Submitted to the Throne on December 14, 1908.)
IN view of the many Imperial Decrees ordering the abolition of opium, and considering the importance of this measure, it is essential that it should be carried out in a thoroughly effective manner, and that there should not be merely a specious pretence at obedience to the Imperial commands. Some time ago the Commissioners for the Prohibition of Opium directed the Tartar General to furnish within two months a return of the number of opiumn-smokers amongst the Manchu garrison at Ning-hsia. As the number of smokers was very large-more than 60 per cent. of the total-the Tartar General asked that the time limit might be increased, so as to give time for taking effective measures to eradicate the evil. After careful consideration, he has come to the conclusion that no real progress can be made in the matter of abolishing Mere opium until some genuine remedy for removing the craving has been discovered. prohibitions will only lead subordinates to combine together for the purpose of hoodwinking their superiors, and it is impossible to maintain a sufficiently complete surveillance.
The reports furnished by officials with regard to the reductions effected in opium- smoking and cultivating are merc empty statements without any foundation in fact. For instance, in the Memorial submitted by the Board of Finance, giving returns of the production and consumption of opium during the last three years, Kansub is stated to have purchased only 45 piculs in 1907. Now, if this were true, it would show that a great reduction had been effected, but as the deputy sent by the Board to investigate the question in Kansu did not reach the province until the middle of September, when all the poppy had been cut, he had to rely solely on the reports of the district magistrates and tax offices, which are far from being conclusive evidence. In the Manchu city of Ning-hsia alone the annual consumption of raw opium amounts to at least 200,000 ounces, and as 45 piculs amounts only to 72,000 ounces, the latter would be quite insufficient even for this one Manchu city. The statement that this is If the the amount consumed by the whole province can therefore deceive no one. Throne allows itself to be deceived by such reports as this into thinking that the proper reductions are being effected, the most serious consequences may ensue upon the com- pletion of the ten years' period.
Again, the Report from Ta-hua district, in Kiangsi, states that the annual produc- tion of native opium paste is only 660 ounces. Now, 1 mou of good land produces about 200 ounces of opium paste, and, if the Report were true, it would follow that there were only 3 or 4 mou of land under opium cultivation in Ta-hua district during that year. Can this be credited? From the above two instances one can judge what are the facts in other provinces.
The memorialist has been cndeavouring to find a cure for the opium craving, and has at length come to the conclusion that the remedy discovered by a Shantung man named Chao Kus-chün is the most effective. He has brought this man to Ning-hsia
success.
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for the purpose of trying his treatment on the troops there, and has met with great The first person treated was the Deputy Lieutenant-General Chih-jui, who had been obliged, owing to illness, to take opium since the age of 20, and in his case an immediate cure was effected. The treatment was then tried on the soldiers in batches of twenty every five days, and equally satisfactory results were attained. He now proposes to require all the opium-smokers amongst his troops to submit to the treatment, and hopes that in four months the habit will have been entirely eradicated.
He then refers to the consumption of opium throughout the Empire. The investi- gation made by the Board of Finance showed that the total annual consumption of native and foreign opium amounted together to over 170,000 piculs, or 200,000,000 taels, and, taking the annual consumption per head at 100 taels, this would show that there are at least 20,000,000 smokers [Note.-There is something wrong with the arithmetic here.--Translator.] without taking into account the amount of smuggled opium and that grown by people for their own consumption. The eradication of the habit amongst so large a number is an undertaking of the utmost difficulty. It is practically impossible to insure that all the Regulations for the diminution of opium cultivation and smoking are faithfully complied with, and any attempt to enforce these rules strictly only leads to further deceptions being practised. Further, at the end of ten years, owing to the constant changes in the public service, it will be impossible to fix the responsibility for any laxity upon the real offender.
After deep study of the question, the memorialist has come to the conclusion that the only feasible course is to endeavour in the first place to deal with the victims of the habit among the official class and the troops. If his experiment at Ning-hsia proves completely successful, he proposes to submit a further Memorial, recommending that the treatment now being tried at Ning-hsia should be extended to other provinces, and that all opium-smokers amongst the officials and soldiers should be required to undergo it. As regards the general public, their number is too great to render this course practicable, and it only remains to order the total abolition of opium cultivation in all the provinces within the space of one year, and, as the supply of foreign opium will also be gradually decreasing, this should lead to the final suppression of the evil. Unless this course be adopted, it will be found, at the expiration of ten years, that the production of opium is as large as ever.
The Tartar General has been impelled by his deep sense of gratitude for the favours received from the Throne to submit this Memorial, and has not dared to follow the example of other provincial authorities in fornishing specious and useless reports about the establishment of bureaux and the preparation of Regulations.
The following Imperial Rescript was received : "Let the proper Department
take note."
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