3
[This Docurrent is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
CO
35950
[November 3.]
SECTION 5,
•[40042]
(No. 362.) Sir,
No6.594 NOV 10
Mr. Max Müller to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received November 3.)
Peking, October 13, 1910. WITH reference to my despatches Nos. 299 and 303 of the 6th and 8th instant, I regret to have to report that my repeated protests, written and verbal, in regard to the enforcement of the objectionable articles of the new Kuangtung Opium Regulations and the illegal seizures of foreign opium covered by transit certificate, appear thus far to have had but little practical result, though signs are not wanting that the Central Government are alive to the fact that our protests are justified, but their good intentions have hitherto been frustrated by the opposition of the Viceroy and the interested parties in Canton.
I returned to the subject of an interview at the Wai-wu Pu on the 16th ultimo, and, after going over the now oft-reiterated arguments, I referred, asauthorised by your telegram No, 111 of the 30th July, to the possibility of His Majesty's Government deciding to announce the additional article to the Chefoo convention under the clause which says, "It is, however, agreed that the Government of Great Britain shall have the right to terminate the same at any time, should the transit certificate be found not. to confer on the opium complete exemption from all taxation whatsoever whilst being carried from the port of entry to the place of consumption in the interior."
Though I thought that this verbal threat might have some effect, I have hesitated to put it in writing as it appeared to me that such a step would not bring us any nearer to the object which we have in view. The termination of the additional article means that the imports of opium would pay 30 taels duty per chest of 100 catties, that the opium could be sold only at the port, that it could be carried into the interior only by Chinese and only as Chinese property, and that the foreign trader would not be allowed to accompany it, while the transit dues, li-hin, &c., would be fixed as the Chinese Government saw fit.
On the 19th ultimo it was brought to my notice that the additional tax on prepared opium was also being imposed at Amoy, and I lost no time in protesting to the Wai-wu Pu in a note, copy of which I had the honour to enclose in my despatch No. 330
of the 22nd ultimo.
Again, my despatch No. 338 of the 30th ultimo will have informed you that I had had cause to address a further serious remonstrance to the Wai-wu Pu in regard to a fresh case of detention by the Kuangyun office of foreign opium conveyed under transit certificate.
On
I took the opportunity of an interview which I had with the Grand Secretary Na-tung and Mr. Hu Wei-te on the 1st instant to again discuss this long-standing question. I said that this illegal levy foreign opium had for over three months been made the subject of repeated representations on my part, as well as on the part of His Majesty's consul-general at Canton, but that the only result of these protests had been fresh instances of illegal seizure and the extension of the system to other ports.
I was glad, however, to see from their note of the 21st ultimo that they recognised the bona fides and loyalty of His Majesty's Government in regard to the general question of opium suppression, and that they had repeatedly urged the Viceroy to modify the objectionable regulations, and I repeated "what I had already stated in conversation with Mr. Liu Yuk-lin that their memorandum of the 10th ultimo, in regard to a proposal to increase the duty foreign opium and the taxation on native opium to 30 per cent, ad valorem contained a fresh admission that the additional tax at Canton had been imposed purely for purposes of revenue.
on
I showed their Excellencies copies of a telegram from the Wai-wu Pu to the Viceroy at Canton and of the latter's reply, which had been published in the papers and forwarded to me by Sir F. May and Mr. Cousul-General Jamieson, and translations of which I now have the honour to enclose for your
Their Excellencies information.* admitted the authenticly of the documents; whereupon I expressed satisfaction at
* Not printed
[2980 - -5]
372