C.O.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government11024
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[7034]
No. 1.
[REC?
February 133
SECTION 2.
3 APR 13 |
335
Sir,
India Office to Foreign Office.--(Received February 13.)
India Office, February 13, 1913. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for India in Council to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th February, and in reply to forward, for the information of Sir Edward Grey, a copy of telegraphic correspondence with the Government of India on the subject of the disposal of the stocks of opium in Hong Kong and Shanghai, and to inform you that the Marquess of Crewe concurs with the Government of India in their view that, provided the Chinese Government come to a fair and reasonable settlement with the merchants for taking over stocks, His Majesty's Government may agree to formal extinction of the Indian opium trade with China and to establishment by the Chinese Government of an opium monopoly aiming at gradual suppression under State control.
The Government of India have been instructed to repeat to Sir J. Jordan their telegram of the 10th February.
I am, &c.
T. W. HOLDERNESS.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
The Marquess of Crewe to Government of India.
(Telegraphic.) P.
India Office, February 5, 1913. PLEASE refer to your telegram regarding opium, dated the 3rd February. A very early decision on the Chinese Government's proposals is desired by Foreign Office. Please let me have your views by telegraph. Should it be decided to accept in principle proposals 1 and 2 the Foreign Office would be glad of information to enable the estimated value placed by importers on present stocks to be checked. For instance, can you give an estimate of what they actually cost at the sales in India? Further, as it may be decided to enquire into profits made in the past by importers, can you estimate what the opium which has been sold in China since 1911 cost on the average in India? Sir John Jordan's telegram No. 5, dated the 17th July, 1911, contains figures as to opium stocks at that date.
Enclosure 2 in No. I.
Government of India to the Marquess Crewe.
February 10, 1913.
(Telegraphic.) P.
PLEASE refer to your opium telegram of the 5th February. We object strongly to the alternative scheme set out in the latter part of the telegram from His Majesty's Minister, Peking, dated the 1st February. It might place in the hands of the Sassoons group practically the whole eastern opium trade; and to uncertified opium dealers, by whom protests are already being made against the restriction of exports in 1913 of uncertified opium, it would be disastrous. With regard to the proposals submitted by the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs, we agree that our trade with China opium should be formally extinguished, and we agree to establishment by Government of China of an opium monopoly having total suppression as object. But our agreement is strictly conditional on merchants' claims being reasonably and fairly met by the arrangements for acquiring stocks.
We have found it difficult to give satisfactory replies from the information at our disposal to your enquiries as to profits made by importers in the past, and as to the value of stocks-hence the delay in sending this telegram. In the first place, as to what was cost in India of the stocks. With regard to Bengal opium the price paid at
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