2
M. Spakler wrote me saying he had received on that date a letter from the acting governor of Macao, stating that the opium was indeed for the Macao farmer.
3. Yesterday the Netherlands Trading Society have again applied for a permit to export 150 chests of Indian opium to the opium farmer, Macao, also per steam-ship “Johaune." The actual requirements of Macao are between 10 and 20 chests per month, say, on an average 15 chests per month. The Macao farmer is therefore receiving 310 chests within 6 weeks, or about 2 years' supply. As uncertified opium is not allowed into China at all, none of these chests unless smuggled can be for China. It is ridiculous to suppose that such enormous quantities are intended for local consumption in Macao. It can only be intended for smuggling in the form of chandu into other countries, e.g., Straits, Java, China, &c. The danger, therefore, to this colony is very serious, and is twofold. Every chest of uncertified opium sold to Macao over and above their legitimate requirements means so many chests less for sale to bond fide purchasers like ourselves, Java, Saigon, Bangkok, &c. (with Government control in each place). This will undoubtedly raise the price of raw opium against us, especially as an unrestricted importation for smuggling via Macao will induce the smugglers to pay almost any price. Further, having turned the opium into chandu, such chandu will undoubtedly be smuggled into the Straits, Java, &c., thus causing us a double loss of revenue. It seems to me, therefore, imperative for our own protec- tion, unless all are prepared to acquiesce in serious financial losses, to take immediate steps to frustrate what is undoubtedly going on.
4. Under section 5 (2) of the Chandu Revenue Ordinance, 1909, the Governor-in- Council has power to prohibit the export of opium or chandu to any place or subject same to conditions,
5. I suggest that a letter he sent to the Macao Government, informing them that we are aware 310 chests of opium have gone there within six weeks, and as the normal requirements of Macao are only some 15 chests per month, we propose, unless they can show good cause to the contrary, to prohibit the export of opium from the colony to Macao for a period sufficient to allow for the normal consumption of 310 chests.
The I am
6. I may say I have lived in Macao and know something of the Government. place is moribund, and the opium farm rent is a large portion of their revenue. quite convinced the Macao Government will do nothing to embarrass the farmer, nor will they be guilty of excess of zeal in suppressing irregularities. We cannot object to their getting legitimate revenue from their farm, but we ought to object strongly to Macao being made the base of a series of operations which are bound to cause heavy financial losses to this colony.
7. The withdrawal from the open market of such an enormous quantity as 310 chests for a place consuming only 15 chests per month cannot but have a great, immediate, and lasting effect in putting up the market price.
I have, &c.
(Telegraphic.) P.
F. M. BADDELEY, Superintendent,
Government Monopolies Department.
Enclosure 3 in No. 1.
Mr. Harcourt to Sir A. Young.
Downing Street, February 28, 1912. REFERRING to my cypher telegram of the 17th instant, I am advised that large shipments of opium to Macao are still being made. Please send by despatch as soon as possible as complete a statement as can be obtained of amounts exported from Straits to Macao since the 1st July last with names of consignees.
you
I should be glad if would consider whether further action should not be taken under section 5 (2) of Ordinance 21 of 1909.
(This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[12645]
(No. 110.) Sir,
244
10404
[March 25.]
SECTION 3 MAY 12
No. I.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey-(Received March 25.)'
Peking, March 6, 1912. WITH reference to my despatch No. 92 of the 22nd February, on the subject of the resumption of opium cultivation in China, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith a copy of a despatch which I have received from His Majesty's consul-general at Yünnan fu, reporting that in the prefectures of Chao-tung Fu and Tung-chuan Fu the passive attitude of the authorities has emboldened the farmers to clear their fields of young beans and supplant them with poppy, and that in the plain of Yunnan-fu the poppy is now being grown without any attempt at concealment."
In his report on the province of Yunnan of the 15th April, 1911, Sir A. Hosie stated that a proclamation had been issued by the then Viceroy permitting the export through the port of Mengtzu of old stocks of opium for a period of four months from the 30th March to the 25th July, 1911, and, as will be observed from the enclosure contained in the despatch of His Majesty's consul-general, a similar proclamation was issued by the military governor of Yunnan on the 1st January, 1912, permitting export of stocks up to the 16th April, on the ground that the original period fixed for the sale of accumulated stocks was too short, and that, as large reserves still remained, smoking was carried on as a matter of course; but the fact that no opium had been reported for export up to the 9th February would appear to show that holders prefer to dispose of their stocks locally at their equivalent weight in silver, while, to judge from the recrudescence of cultivation throughout the province, farmers do not seem to attach much
poppy importance to the order of the military governor, that the cultivation of the hidden places will not be permitted.
in
In his despatch No. 5 of the 10th January, copy of which was forwarded direct to the Foreign Office, His Majesty's consul-generel at Chengtu was able to report that opium was being very widely cultivated within the prefecture of Ya-chou Fu to the south-west of the provincial capital, and that the poppy was growing in great abun dance all along the high road from Wang Hsien to Chengtu. He states, however, that this resumption of cultivation in Szechuan is contrary to the expressed wishes of the Chengtu Government, which has issued proclamations ordering the immediate and complete destruction of all poppy plants; but as the authority of the Chengtu Government had not yet been acknowledged in Eastern and Southern Szechuan, it was impossible to say how far its mandate could be enforced.
I have, &c.
(No. 6.)
Sir,
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Consul-General O'Brien-Butler to Sir J. Jordan,
J. N. JORDAN.
Yunnan-fu, February 9, 1912. IN continuation of Mr. O'Brien-Butler's despatch No. 41 of the 25th November, 1911, I have the honour to report that a proclaination on the subject of opium was issued on the 1st January by the military governor of Yunnan province.
The terms of the new proclamation bear considerable resemblance to the abortive regulations drawn up by the ex-Viceroy and issued on the 11th April last (despatch No. 21 of 1911). In view of the recrudescence of poppy cultivation and the relaxation of strict supervision over opium smokers, I would venture to submit the opinion that the latest effort to rid Vünnau of its reserves of opium is doomed to a similar failure,. and that the issue of this proclamation is merely an obvious and hypocritical pretence on the part of the provincial authorities, in consideration of recent opium agreements with foreign Powers, to carry on the work of suppression begun by his Excellency Hsi Liang and continued by the ex-Viceroy. I am informed that to date no opium has been produced at the two li-kin stations opened in Yünnan-fu and Mengtsz, those who
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