[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.] 376
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[26486]
C.O.
No. 1.
[February 11.]
SECTION 1.
(No. 419.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Mr. Balfour.--(Received February 11, 1918.)
Peking, December 11, 1917. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge your telegram No. 459 of the 22nd November on the subject of opium, instructing me that His Majesty's Government preferred to adopt the second of the three courses proposed in my telegram No. 502, that is to say, to drop any further proteste against the violation of the Opium Agreement by the Chinese Government, and to leave the opium combine to make their own arrangements with the Chinese Government.
On receipt of your telegram I informed Mr. White-Cooper, a Shanghai lawyer acting temporarily as representative for the combine at Peking, of the course I had been instructed to pursue. In reply to his enquiry whether I would assist him to get into touch with the Wai-chino Pu, I pointed out that this department of the Chinese Government had consistently declined to undertake direct negotiations with the combine, and that it now appeared that the latter would have to find their own ways and means of getting into touch with the Chinese Government through other channels.
On the 5th instant I communicated verbally to the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs the substance of your instructions.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN.
[2800 !-1]