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that Indian opium should not be imported into this province in conformity with article 3 of the Opium Agreement of May 1911. On the 17th January Reuter's Pacific Service reported from Chungking that thousands of acres of poppy were under cultivation in the Liu-shui district, sixty miles north of Chungking, a few weeks ago, but that the new magistrate had issued orders for its destruction. On the 15th January Reuter's Pacific Service at Chengtu reported a fight at Jen-shou, forty-five miles south of Chengtu, and at Chien-chou, thirty miles south-east, between the opium cultivators and the officials and militia. The former had retired to an old fort and the latter had asked for reinforcements. The tutu has issued a strongly worded proclamation threatening punishment to officials who allow cultivation in their jurisdiction.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL,
[6308]
No. 1.
$492
February 10.] thec:20 MAR 13
SECTION 3.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received February 10.) (No. 37.)
Peking, January 22, 1913. Six,
have the honour to WITH reference to my despatch No. 3 of the 3rd instant, forward herewith copy of my reply to the Wai-chiao Pu, dated the 10th January, on the subject of the detention of twenty chests of Indian opium at Wan Chih, in the province of Anhui. In my despatch No. 3 I stated that the explanation given by the Wai-chiao Pu their memorandum of the 30th December appeared to be a mere subterfuge to cover the breach of treaty involved by the illegal detention. I have accordingly requested that the president will severely reprimand the tutu on account of the latter's orders which had misled the li-kin station at Wan Chih into committing a gross breach of treaty.
I enclose also translation of a memorandum from the Wai-chiao Pu, dated the 10th January, together with copy of my reply of the 17th January, on the subject of the destruction of seven chesta of Indian opium at Anch'ing on the 16th September last. The argument repeated by the Wai-chiao Pu that the seven chests were destroyed simply because the goods had been separated from the documents, was fully auswered and refuted in my memorandum to them of the 21st November forwarded in my despatch No. 460 of the 22nd November. I have therefore repeated my demand for the payment of compensation for the opium destroyed aud the publication in the province of Anhui of a proclamation embodying the terms of the circular instructions of June 1911.
In my telegram No. 1 of the 1st January, I referred to the intimidation and the repressive measures practised against purchasers of opium at Shanghai, and to a similar situation obtaining in the Yang-tsze provinces. Copies of two despatches from His Majesty's consul-general at Shanghai are enclosed herewith, reporting details of these occurrences. A letter from the Chinese Foreign Opium Guild to the foreign importers accompanies the latter despatch. The guild give particulars of the formation and working of a special ludian opium detective force, and declare that, in view of the nature of the preventive measures adopted against Indian opium, it is undoubtedly beyond their power to take over the opium contracted for, aggregating, with the opium for which delivery orders were held, a total of 11,000 chests.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN.
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Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated to Wai-chiao Pu.
SIR JOHN JORDAN has the honour to acknowledge the memorandum from the Wai-chino Pu, dated the 30th December, stating that steps might be taken for the release of the twenty chests of opium detained in the province of Anhui, and that instructions in this sense were being sent to the tutu.
Sir John Jordan understands that the discrepancies in the dates referred to in the Wai-chiao Pu's memorandum are of so trifling and unimportant u nature that he cannot but regard this excuse as a mere subterfuge to cover the illegal detention of the twenty chests by the li-kin station at Wan Chib in September last.
Sir John Jordan would point out that the transit certificates covering the twenty chests were in due accordance with treaty requirements. Nevertheless, the officer in charge of the li-kin station had the audacity and the impertinence to indict the Wuhu Customs for having issued the certificates. A copy of his notification was forwarded in Sir John Jordan's memorandum of the 21st November. A glance at this document will show that the officer in question detained the twenty cases of opium and two permits in consequence of the probibition of importation of foreign opium as decided by the provincial assembly and ordered by the tutu. Not only was his action a
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