[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[33451]
No. 1.
192
со [July 21,19999 SECTERE
REGE 28 AUG 13
Mr. Alston to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received July 21.)
(No. 274.) Sir,
Peking, July 5, 1913. IN continuation of my despatch No. 264 of the 30th June, I have the honour to forward a further memorandum from the Wai-chiao Pu on the subject of the proposal to remove the stocks of Indian opium from Shanghai. The memorandum states that the scheme has the approval of many people in the United Kingdom and, in this connection, I enclose translations of three letters from General Chang Yu-chun, the representative of the Chinese Anti-Opium Society, to the President. The "Peiching Pao," in which two letters were published, is understood to be in touch with the Central Government, and the "Peking Daily News" may be described as officially inspired.
On the 30th June the Senate passed the three readings of a member's Bill requesting the Government to approach the British Minister with a view to abrogate the Opium treaty, to stop the importation of opium, and to ship away the stocks of Indian opium.
It will be observed that, beyond an offer to pay the cost of freight of shipment to non-Chinese ports, the Chinese Government appears to take no account of the fact that the sales of the stocks at these ports would entail heavy losses on the opium merchants who would presumably look either to India or to Great Britain to make them good.
Subject to your approval, I would propose to reply to the Wai-chiao Pu that His Majesty's Government have already made considerable sacrifices in putting an end to the export of Indian opium to China and are unable to consent to the proposed removal of the stocks until such time as every province in China shall have established by clear evidence that the cultivation of native opium has been effectively suppressed, and the ports of Canton and Shanghai closed to the import of Indian opium.
I have, &c.
B. ALSTON.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated to Mr. Alston by Wai-chiao Pu
THE Wai-chiao Pu have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Alston's memorandum of the 26th June with reference to the removal of the stocks of opium now lying at Shanghai, in which he declares that such a course would be inconsistent with the proposals previously put forward.
The Ministry have the honour to observe that, although the purchase of the opium stocks was on several occasions discussed with Sir John Jordan, yet no decision was reached. Later, owing to the hostility of public opinion, the question was not again raised, and has now been dormant for some months.
As the previous proposal has been dropped, the method of removing the stocks of opium was brought forward. Telegrams have successively been received from all the provincial Governments and assemblies approving of the scheme, which further has the approval of many people in the United Kingdom. The true reason for bringing forward this proposal is that every day on which opium is stored at Shanghai means a day on which it is impossible to prevent its consumption, which is a great obstacle to China's prohibition of opium. The only course open to the Wai-chiao Pu is again to consult with Mr. Alston and to request him if he agrees with the proposal, to instruct the opium merchants to act according to it. The Wai-chiao Pu trusts to receive Mr. Alston's reply.
July 1, 1913.
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