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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
402
C.0.
OPIUM.
39493
[November 6.]
CONFIDENTIAL.
Rece
SECTION 1.
REG 13 DEC 12
[47176]
No. 1.
•
(No. 420.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received November 6.)
Peking, October 19, 1912.
I HAVE the honour to enclose herewith copy of a memorandum which, in consequence of telegraphic reports received from His Majesty's consul at Nanking, I addressed to the Wai-chiao Pu on the 11th instant, protesting against certain irregular restrictions on the opium traffic imposed by the Governor of Kiangsu; and copies of two despatches from His Majesty's consul at Nanking, reporting on the subject. The instructions which I gave to Mr. F. E. Wilkinson are embodied in his letter to the governor of the 20th September.
It will be seen from Mr. Wilkinson's last despatch that the governor assured him that the terms of the Opium Agreement would be strictly complied with, the shops would not be compulsorily closed, and the issue of smoking licences would continue. It is not unlikely that the cruise of His Majesty's ship "Flora" to Anking, in connection with the opium outrage there, which took place just before the interview, may have helped to influence the governor in deciding not to infringe treaty provisions.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated to Wai-chiao Pu.
HIS Majesty's Minister received some time ago a report from His Majesty's consul at Nanking to the effect that measures were being taken at that port to close all raw and prepared opium shops at the end of the present year, and to establish an official bureau with the exclusive right to sell opium stocks then remaining in the hands of opium shops in Nanking.
His Majesty's Minister instructed His Majesty's cousul to inform the governor that the measures contemplated constitute an infringement of treaty provisions, and that in accordance with the Opium Agreement of the 8th May, 1911, Indian opium will continue to be a legitimate article of import and trade until the conditions named in that agreement have been fulfilled by China. His Majesty's consul at Nanking was also instructed to remind the governor that by the Opium Agreement all laws dealing with the retail trade in opium must be made by the Chinese Government, and that provincial regulations on the subject are irregular and invalid.
His Majesty's Minister is now in receipt of a telegram from His Majesty's consul at Nanking, stating that in spite of the protest which, in accordance with these instructions, he addressed to the governor, the latter has issued instructions for the closing before the end of November of all raw and prepared opium shops throughout the province, and that the authorities have warned dealers against purchasing further supplies of opium. His Majesty's consul adds that he is informed that the action of the governor has been taken under orders from Peking.
From the information in possession of His Majesty's Minister it appears that similar restrictions are intended to be enforced in the provinces of Hunan, Kiangsi, and Anhwei. It is evident that the terms of the Opium Agreement are in many provinces entirely ignored, and His Majesty's Minister desires to impress strongly on the Chinese Government the urgent necessity, in order to avoid misunderstandings, of issuing circular instructions to the governors of all the provinces, reaffirming the explanations of the purport of the agreement which was given in the Wai-wu Pu's telegram of June 1911.
Peking, October 11, 1912.
[2715 ƒ-1]
B