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alterations in the certificates were made prior to their issue to the merchants, who have not been behaving improperly, steps may be taken for the release of the goods.
The Wai-chiao Pu have the honour to inform His Majesty's Minister that instructions in this sense are being sent to the Anhui Tutu.
Peking, December 30, 1912.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government)
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[January 20.]
SECTION 2.
[3514]
No. 1.
Question asked in the House of Commons, January 20, 1913.
Mr. Ginnell,-To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is now in a position to state substantially the terms of the proposed loan of 25,000,000l. to China by the six-Power group; whether they include, or in any way depend on, the payment by China of 10,000,000. or any other sum for the opium sent by Indian speculators to Shanghai against China's protests, against China's interests, and against the successful efforts of the Chinese Government to stamp out the opium vice; whether China's refusal to submit to payment for this article, which she does not want, has been one of the difficulties in arranging loans; and, in view of the discredit attaching in China to the forcing of that drug upon that country and the consequent damage to British business and to British subjects in China, if he will say in what way and on what grounds the British Government is concerned to subject China's freedom to take a loan for beneficial purposes to a condition that she must pay for a drug admittedly injurious to her people.
Answer by Mr. Acland (for Sir E. Grey.)
The answer to all parts of the question is in the negative.
[2766 u -2]
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