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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Coverathent.34
472
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[7563]
No. 1.
C O 6653
[February 28.]
17 MAR 1:
SECTION 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received February 28.)
Peking, February 28, 1911.
(No. 62.) (Telegraphic.) R.
YOUR telegram No. 35 of 27th February: Opium. The effect of the second and third proposals in Viceroy's telegram of 21st February would probably be to attract to China during time limit considerable quantities of opium sold before 1911 which are now in Singapore and elsewhere, and to guarantee to all this opium, as also to 17,700 chests already stored in Shanghai and Hong Kong, the prospect of a rising market in China for an indefinite period after expiration of time limit.
Chinese Government would regard this as a most serious hindrance to their work of opium suppression, and in present state of public opinion would not, I think, venture to sign any agreement according favoured treatment to opium sold before 1911.
But I am quite willing to submit ouce more any proposal Government of India may decide to make.
So far as I can see, the utmost that Chinese Government is prepared to do is to fix a time limit of, say, six months within which all existing stocks in China must be cleared off, and after which all uncertificated opium shall be excluded from treaty ports.
(Repeated to India.)
[1897 ee-
-1]