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Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Extracts from the “Peiching Paö" of June 20, 1913.
TRANSLATION OF TWO LETTERS FROM GENERAL CHANG TO PRESIDENT
YUAN SHIH-KAI.
A LETTER written the other day by Chang Yu-chün, representative of the National Anti-Opium Association, to the President, contains the following
;-
"I earnestly trust that the Chinese Government will maintain a firm front to the end, seeing that there is no risk of friendly relations with Britain being impaired. Sir J. Jordan, as an experienced diplomat, was bound to make a show of opposition, but this is only an unavoidable diplomatic move; it does not in the least imply an unfriendly attitude, nor can it conceivably bring about any other complications. If the Wai-chiao Pu allows itself to be coerced by His Majesty's Minister and suddenly weakens its attitude, not only will a rebuff be suffered, but foreigners will ridicule China's complete lack of persistence. China's diplomatic relations with foreigners have invariably ended in discomfiture, owing to the mask worn by foreigners being accepted as genuine. The British people are opposed to the action of their Government in regard to the opium sales, and will never allow provocative measures to be undertaken on this account against China. I earnestly trust that you will instruct the Wai-chiao Pu to maintain a firm front to the end, thereby causing Great Britain to revise and do away with the restrictions of the Agreement of 1911, thus permitting China to have complete liberty in suppressing opium, both native and imported."
Second letter:-
"Since last week I have been in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, where I have been delivering addresses in all the churches. I have received support on all sides, and the decision has been formed to present a request to the British Government to revise the agreement and stop the import, as well as to remove the stocks now held at Shanghai. The general public is also most warm-hearted in its support; all expressed their shame at not knowing how earnestly aroused China was, nor the obstinate selfishness of the British Government. I have made great progress in the English language, and am able to give addresses with my own mouth, as a result of which my hearers are all much moved. I am (or they are) ignorant as to the action taken by the Wai-chiao Pu, as to whether it will be able to maintain a firm front to the end, and whether it will be possible to prevent the opium stocks now held at Shanghai from being disposed of in China. British Members of Parliament, such as Messrs. Taylor and (3) Scottie all agree with what I say, and give me great encouragement. They intend to introduce me to Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and to Lord Crewe, Secretary of State for India, in order that I may have a talk with them about everything. My idea is that if the Wai-chiao Pu finds it difficult to bring the negotiations in China to a successful issue, the best thing to do will be to transfer them to my charge in Great Britain. Owing to the assistance of the British public this will be much easier. Otherwise this will be another case in which we shall fall into the trap
set by others, and the reputation of the republic will be injuriously affected."
Enclosure 3 in No. 1.
Extract from the "Peking Daily News" of July 3, 1913.
ANTI-OPIUM CAMPAIGN.
A LETTER from General Chang Yu-chün, the representative of the Chinese Anti-Opium Society, to President Yuan Shih-kai, regarding the anti-opium movement in London:-
Your Excellency,
"This afternoon the various anti-opium societies in England held a meeting in the committee room of the House of Commons. Many members of Parliament such as
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Mr. Taylor, &c., were present, and I was invited to take part in the conference. It was proposed that delegates should be appointed to call upon Sir Edward Grey, the Minister of the Foreign Office, and to request him to cancel the treaty for the sale of opium to China, in order that China might be enabled to carry on her prohibitive measures freely, and that the stock of 20,000 chests of opium at Shanghai might not be sold in the interior.
In the course of the meeting I was asked whether the Government of China had any intention to prohibit the stock of opium at Shanghai as well. Thereupon, I said that China wants very much to remove the stock of opium, but for the lack of funds our Government, though earnest to stamp out the evil, has been afraid lest your Majesty's Government should not comply with our request for its removal. Mr. Taylor, however, told me that China need not be anxious about the question of payment. 'His Majesty's Government,' he said, 'would never compel the Chinese Government to pay any compensation. If the Chinese Government were really in carnest to prohibit the importation of this opium stock, and would make clear demands for its exclusion, we would use our best efforts to persuade His Majesty's Government to act accordingly. The Chinese Government is too ignorant of the conditions of foreign countries. It does not know, even now, that we are sincerely helping it with respect to this opium affair. It has been too careful to make known its intentions even in a matter of
anything without being asked
claiming its own rights. How can a person give up your country remains as weak
for it? We have done our outmost for your country
and timid as ever and we are now at our wits' end.' I was really ashamed to hear him say so, and I could not but excuse ourselves by saying that all these faults were due to the weakness of our nation. Then he advised me to urge our Government to lodge a strong representation immediately with the British Government, without any fear or doubt, and said that although there were verbal demands of compensation made by the British Government, these demands were merely formalities of the diplomatic officers. and that the British Government would never insist on them.
"At last two resolutions were passed, namely:
"1. His Majesty's Government should be requested to give back to China the right of opium prohibition, and to enable China to prohibit the opium stock in Shanghai as well; and
"2. His Majesty's Government should be requested to stop the cultivation of opium in India for two years, so that the present stock of Indian opium may be sold to other countries during this period of time.
"After the close of the meeting I sent to your Excellency a telegram requesting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly should be ordered, and requested respectively to settle this question as soon as possible, and to lodge a demand for the prohibition of the Shanghai opium stocks, and I trust that this telegram has reached your Excellency in due course.
Hoping our Government will adopt the measure advised by Mr. Taylor without loss of time, I have, &c.
"CHANG YU-CHUN."
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