[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Governmen...
OPIUM.
{
CONFIDENTIAL.
[6945]
No. 1.
473
[March 2.]
SECTION 1.
Sir Edward Grey to Mr. Lew Yuk-Lin.
SIR E. GREY presents his compliments to the Chinese Minister, and, with reference to the memorandum communicated by him on the 24th ultimo forwarding a translation of a telegram from the Wai-wn Pu on the subject of the opium negotiations which are now proceeding at Peking between the Chinese Government and His Majesty's Minister, is inclined to think that no useful purpose will be served by discussing the question in London in view of the extreme intricacy of the points under discussion and of the fact that Sir J. Jordan, who is in direction communication with the Indian Government, is fully supplied with all the information and instructions necessary to enable him to negotiate fully and definitively with the Chinese delegate.
Sir E. Grey would also observe that the information supplied to the Chinese Minister is so condensed as to be actually misleading, as, for instance, it is not the case that Sir J. Jordan has agreed unconditionally to points 1 and 2 in the telegram, but only subject to the conclusion of an agreement with China satisfactory to His Majesty's Government in all other respects.
Foreign Office, March 2, 1911.
[1930 b1]