[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
со 29999
Rraf28 AUG 13 [June 20.]
CONFIDENTIAL.
[33546]
No. 1.
SECTION 2.
1861
Extract from Letter by Mr. Doodha, District Postmaster, Kuei-yang Fu, Kuei-chou, South-west China, dated June 20, 1913.--(Communicated by Lieutenant-Colonel Pereira, June 20.)
THE Yünuan officials have sent about 3,000 men to Tung-jen-fu (in north-east Kuei-chou) to watch the doings of Hunan according to Yuan's orders. Kuang-si province is instructed to do the same. Brigandage is ever on the increase. The soldiers sent out to eradicate opium carry on a reign of terror. They shoot people, outrage women, and extort money. Opium was planted as much, if not more, than in old opium days, about 60 per cent. has been destroyed, about 40 per cent. gathered in. They purposely delayed taking strong measures in large growing districts in order to give them a chance. I think next year they will be stricter. Much opium gathered in following districts, viz., Lang-t'ai in west, Pu-an in west, Shui-ch'eng in west, Yung- ning in west, Yen-ch'iao, Ta-t'ing Fu, Lo-hu Ting, Tsun-yi Fu, Tung-tzu in north, Sung-K'an (on Szechuan border), Pieh-nieh (?), and Wei-ning Chou, &c. They smuggle opium from Ku-chou T'ing into Kuang-si province, some smuggled into Szechuan, very little into Hunan and Yunnan. 20 to 30 per cent. of original numbers still smoke. There is a régie ou opium now at Kuei-yang Fu. The "Kuan-kao-chieh (?) alone can sell opium. They charge 80 taels (a tael equals about half-a-crown) for 100 oz. They sell to smokers with certificates. Quantity allowed gradually reduced. Outside Kuei-yang Fu they are not at all strict. General Hun (who runs the well meaning, but highly inefficient, Tu-tu) still chops off heads. Chou-hang (a scoundrel) has been removed from his billet of Chief Justice.
"
N.B.-Kuei-chou has had to go through a great deal of trouble in the last year owing to internal revolts, and there is therefore some excuse for the opium growing, and though the authorities have been brutal in their attempts to stop it, yet it must be remembered that with the Chinese, who are naturally obstinate, gentle measures are useless. It is also a wise policy to put down the evil gradually. It must not be supposed that I approve of the brutality of the soldiers.-E. P., July 20, 1913.
The opium growing districts are worse in the north and west, where the Chinese predominate. In the south they are mostly aborigines, who do not smoke.
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