[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[36576]
No. 1.
[August 30.1
SECTION
--
(No. 345.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received August 30.)
WITH reference to my despatch No. 303 of the 18th ultimo, I have the honour to
Peking, August 14, 1912, forward to you herewith copies of further correspondence with the Chinese Govern- ment on the subject of the restrictions imposed on the importation of Indian opium into the province of Kiangsi.
I am requesting the acting British consul at Kiukiang to furnish me with a report. upon the present conditions prevailing in that province.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN.
Enclosure 1 No. 1.
Memorandum communicated to the Wai-chiao Pu by Sir J. Jordan.
IN his memorandum to the Wai-chiao Pu of the 26th June His Majesty's Minister forwarded a copy of regulations issued by the authorities of Kiangsi dealing with the subject of opium in that province, and requested that instructions be at once sent to withdraw all restrictions on the trade in Indian opium which these regulations imposed. To this request Sir John Jordan has not received a reply.
His Majesty's Minister is now in receipt of a despatch from His Majesty's consul- general at Shanghai, forwarding copy of a minute made by the Tutu of Kiangsi on a petition presented to him by the Kiukiang Chamber of Commerce on the subject of the newly-established opium monopoly in that province. A copy of that minute is enclosed herewith, and His Majesty's Minister requests the Wai-chiao Pu to inform him whether the statement that "the Government have issued the orders and we cannot disobey, nor can the period fixed by the law be altered in any way. In dealing with this matter I have obeyed the orders of President Yuan," contained in that minute is correct, and, if so, to be good enough to furnish him with the dates on which these orders were respectively issued.
Peking, August 2, 1912.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated by the Wai-chiao Pu to Sir J. Jordan.
THE Wai-chiao Pu have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the memo- randa from His Majesty's Minister of the 27th (26th) June, 13th July, and 2nd August of the present year on the subject of anti-opium regulations in Kiangsi province.
In response to several telegrams addressed by the Wai-chiao Pu to the Tutu of Kiangsi, the latter replied that restrictions had not been imposed on the introduction of Indian opium, and that the regulations at present in force in Kiangsi province only exercised control over the retail sale. The Wai-chiao Pu telegraphed again to enquire, if the introduction of Indian opium had not been prohibited, how it was that the British Minister had received a telegram from the Kiukiang consul declaring that the import of opium into Kiukiang after the 27th June had been forbidden.
The following further reply has now been received :---
"The prohibition of the import of opium into Kiukiang was due to the fact that at that time the local officials there were not conversant with the treaties; later on, instructions were telegraphed to them to conform to the opium agreement and impose no restrictions on the wholesale trade in Indian opium, but to prohibit entirely
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