2
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.] ·
14
Mr. Montagu announced the total stock in China to be 20,000 chests, but the actual total, inclusive of 2,680 chests of certificated opium remaining over from last year's auctions and bound to be imported during this year, is 25,300 chests. He further gave the monthly consumption as 2,000 chests, where since the beginning of this year the average total disposed of at Shanghai and Hong Kong is only 1,100 to 1,200 chests of all sorts, and the maintenance of this figure depends on the continuance of the present feasibility of smuggling the drug into the interior of China.
Confiscations are of daily occurrence, and the premises of dealers and retailers in these settlements are so beset by the watchers employed by the Opium Suppression Bureau on a system of payment by results that many have to incur the expense of special municipal police protection.
From a case where the Customs commissioner at Nanking held up duly-labelled opium because it was found in a steamer passenger's luggage, it appears that some The Inspector-General has, I Indian drug still goes to river ports in this way. learn, sent a circular to his commissioners, some of whom have yielded to local pressure and seized opium, pointing out that Indian drug duly labelled is, even in the absence of transit certificates (which, however, are invariably attached nowadays), entitled to move freely except in closed provinces.
The opium importers are apprehensive lest any such period as a year or two years be fixed after which sales from stock should be forbidden, since they consider any limit of time would arouse the anti-opium people to extraordinary efforts. Prices remain at the level originally fixed, as the sole desire of the importers is to get rid of their holdings without grave loss.
I have, &c.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
E. H. FRASER.
STATEMENT respecting Indian Opium sold, ie., Imported and Released from Bond in the Treaty Ports of China during the first four months of 1913, and in Bond on April 30, 1913.
Chefoo
Shanghai
Foochow
Amoy
Swaton
Canton
Kowloon Lappa Kongmoon Samsbui
Kiungchow
Pakhoi
Total
:::
:::
::::
January, February.
March.
April.
27
1471
In Bond at end of April.
Chests.
17,675,1
176
62
Chests.
Chests.
Chests.
3
19
33
4794
694
1,077
Chests.
38 3981
*.*
134
185
111
135
58
66
191 35
127
208
162
60
64
118
20%
2
141
ย
11
7
78
70
81
95
34
22
28
30
34
26
54
2
6
6
1.1281
1,357
1,733
1,21947
17,949
Inspectorate-General of Customs, Peking, May 23, 1913.
*
Acting Chinese Secretary.
[A]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[27447]
C.O
[June 16]
24090
IREC
SECTION
REG 14 JUL 13
[AMENDED COPY.]
No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey-Received June 16.)
(No. 224.) Sir,
Peking, June 2, 1913. WITH reference to my despatch No. 164 of the 22nd April, I have the honour to enclose copies of reports on journeys recently completed in Anhui, Hunan, and Shantung, with a view to ascertaining the extent of poppy cultivation still existing in those provinces.
Five consular officers were detached for the work, and, accompanied by Chinese delegates of the metropolitan and provincial governments, they have conducted a searching enquiry into the a nditions of cultivation, consumption, and traffic in native opium. Their investigations have failed to reveal any poppy crops within the areas under inspection, and have informed the Chinese Government that, in view of the effective suppression of the cultivation and import of the native drug, the conveyance of Indian opium into the provinces of Auhui, Hunan, and Shantung will now cease, in accordance with the terms of article 3 of the Agreement of 1911. Copies of the correspondence with the Wai-chiao Pu on this subject are enclosed herewith.
In their note of the 19th December last, enclosed in my despatch No. 514 of the 30th December, the Wai-chiao Pu quoted reports from the respective Governors to the effect that these three provinces were entirely free of opium cultivation. The information reaching me from His Majesty's consuls, from the native and foreign press, and from missionaries and others--substance of which I communicated to the Wai-chiao Pu on the 1st February (enclosed in my despatch No. 57 of the 4th February)—all tended to throw doubt upon these claims. The results of the examination would appear to leave no room for question that poppy was being grown this season in each of the provinces under consideration. Suppressive campaigns, however, of great vigour and severity were inaugurated in February and March, when the poppy plants were showing well above ground, and at a time when it had become known that the three provinces would be subjected to investigation. The appointment of. British consular officers to undertake tours of examination undoubtedly stimulated the zeal of the provincial authorities, and, assisted by military officers and large numbers of soldiers, the magistrates and opium inspectors redoubled their previous exertions.
It is satisfactory to learn that these exertions have been rewarded with complete success, and it is to be hoped that, having secured immunity from the import of Indian opium, these three provinces will see to it that there is no recrudescence of cultivation such as was recorded in the cases of Shansi and Szechuan,
These are the first tours of the kind which have been carried out by British and Chinese officers working together, and the good spirit and fellowship with which they have been conducted under arduous and trying circumstances reflects much credit on all concerned.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Report on Journey in Anhui.
IN accordance with instructions received from His Majesty s Minister, I left Peking on the 20th April for the investigation of the cultivation and importation of native opium in the province of Anhui under the terms of article 4 of the May Agreement
1911.
I remained one day at Tsinan in order to discuss details of a similar investigation in Shantung with Mr. Smith and Mr. Fitzmaurice. I arrived at Pengpu on the
[2965 q-1]
B