T-
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made excursions both to the east and west of the town, returning in each case by a fresh route.
Lien-shui (better known under its old name of Antung) and Fowning were the next places visited. These were indicated in Mr. Ottewill's despatch of the 26th March as districts to be regarded with suspicion. I made careful enquiries of the representative of the China Inland Mission at Lienshui, who travels a great deal in the country by bicycle, but he stated that he had neither seen nor heard of any opium cultivation. In Fowning we made a circuit of the country to the north-east of the town, in the direction of the old bed of the Yellow River.
The remainder of the journey was made by boat through Yen-ch'eng, Tung-t'ai, T'ai Hsien and Yangchow to Chinkiang. I deferred any decision as to the necessity of inspecting the country south of the Yang-tsze until I had had an opportunity of consulting Mr. Ottewill; he confirmed the information I had received in Nanking that this area was not an opium-producing region, and that no good purpose would be served by a journey through it, so I informed the Chinese delegates that I regarded our investigation as finished,
The total distance covered on the tour of inspection was about 800 miles, of which we travelled upwards of 500 miles by chair and over 250 miles by boat. During the chair journey I walked the greater part of the way, and seized every opportunity of ascending any elevation that might serve as a vantage ground for observation. The country which we traversed by boat was of less importance from an opium- producing point of view, though the Chinkiang archives showed that some poppy was grown in the Huai-an prefecture in 1914 and 1915. Here, too, I walked wherever practicable, but throughout the whole journey I could not discover the slightest indication of poppy cultivation. It is, of course, impossible for one man in a limited time to make an exhaustive investigation-to do this it would probably be necessary to devote a week to each hsien-but in view of the fact that we made frequent and wide detours from the road; that for a considerable portion of the way we travelled by unfrequented tracks; and that in several magistracies we spent one or more extra days making circular excursions into the surrounding country, I feel justified in saying that if poppy were being grown we should have been bound to come across it at some point, and that, as none was seen or heard of, it is safe to deduce that none has been grown this year, unless, perhaps, on a very small scale in the most secluded spots, though I have no evidence to support even this exception.
The repressive measures adopted by the provincial authorities appear to have been very strict and to have been energetically enforced; the prohibition extended even to the cultivation of poppies for decorative purposes in flower gardens. Governor Ch'i informed me that he had sent out deputies to each hsien three times : first, at the time when the poppy seed would be sown: again, at the time when the plant would first be visible; and, finally, when it would be in flower. General Chang Hsün also told me through Hsüchow and Haichow his troops had assisted in the search for, and prohibition of, poppy growing. Mr. Yu Shou-chang, the Kiangsu delegate, said that he had himself earlier in the year made a preliminary examina- tion of the districts which he regarded as most open to suspicion. Anti-opium proclamations were posted everywhere, and in some places (notably Pei Hsien) I noticed painted on the walls of houses the character ch'a (" examined "), purporting to show that a house-to-house search had been effected.
One matter worthy of mention is the widespread scattering of black seeds, said to be those of "foreign poppy. The practice prevailed over a wide area: reports of it first came to my notice in Sutsien and Shuyang, after which they were heard in every district we passed through, including Shanghai. An astonishing variety of rumours was in circulation; the work was ascribed to the Shanghai opium combine, to the missionaries, to Germans, and to secret societies. It was also said that the seed was sown from an aeroplane, evidence of which was found in the fact that the seeds had been discovered on the roofs of houses. Miraculous properties were claimed for this "foreign poppy," which was said to produce its crop within ten days of sowing the seed. The missionary at Lienshui was able to show me a specimen of the seed, which bears not the slightest resemblance to that of poppy; it is approximately the size and shape of a lupin seed. The plant is known as ch'ing (the character is not to be found in a dictionary). Mr. Meu Chia-ye, the delegate of the Ministry of the Interior, said that he knew the plant, which is grown extensively in Shantung (his native province) and used as an inferior substitute for hemp. The matter has. I understand, been reported to you by His Majesty's consuls at Nanking and Chin-
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kiang. It seems evident that the reports and the scattering of the seeds represent an organised movement undertaken with malicious intent, though the idea of anyone giving credence to tales of opium being sown in the latter part of May seems sufficiently ridiculous.
Mention should also perhaps be made of the prolonged drought from which the northern part of the province was suffering when I was there. Scarcely any rain had fallen for eight months; there had been no snow in the winter; and throughout the Hsüchow and Haichow prefectures the wheat was deplorably poor and backward. Unless rain has since fallen, it is to be feared that an extensive area will be afflicted with famine this year. Incidentally the drought has facilitated the suppression of opium, even had any been sown it is doubtful whether the crop would have matured. In conclusion, I would beg to express my keen appreciation of the kindness, courtesy, and consideration which uniformly received from all my Chinese colleagues, who did all they could to render a tedious and tiring journey as comfort- able and agreeable as possible for me.
I have, &c.
Enclosure 11 in No. 29.
Wai-chiao Pu to Mr. Alston.
W. STARK TOLLER.
(Translation.) Sir,
Peking, April 27, 1917. WITH reference to this year's joint inspection of opium cultivation, I have the honour to inform you that I received the following telegram from the Military and Civil Governors of Kiangsi on the 25th instant :-
"Chien Kuang Hsi and Huang Chao Hsiung, the deputies sent by the Ministries, the British consul, Mr. Brown, and the provincial delegates, Wang Nien Tzu, and others who were appointed for the joint inspection of opium cultivation in Khansi, arrived at the provincial capital on the 29th March. They first visited the bigh country and went from the district of the southern Taoyin to the eastern and then to the northern Taoyins' districts. They travelled up and down hills and along streams and visited all the district magistracies. Boats and carts were prepared for their use and servants were supplied, whilst instructions for their protection were given to the police and military along the route. They returned to Nanchang on the 22nd April and reported that they had searched in every direction but had found no trace of poppy, and that although they had made enquiries along all the roads they had not heard of a single stalk or leaf. They admitted, therefore, that the entire province had been cleared of the plant. The British consul expressed thanks for the courteous treatment accorded to him and returned to Kiukiang on the 24th instant, and the deputies from the Ministries, Chien Kuang Hsi and Huang Chao Hsiung, returned to Peking
"The prohibition of the cultivation of opium has been in force in Kiangsi for many years. Every winter and spring the district magistrates are ordered to take effective steps for its suppression, and from time to time troops are sent to assist them therewith. On several occasions also officials have been sent to encourage and warn the eighty-one district magistrates to greater efforts, and in the last two years the eradication of opium has been completed.
In the present instance the deputies from the Ministries and the British consul have conducted their joint investigation by land and water. Their journey covered a distance of over 2,000 li, and lasted more than a month. They have now happily completed their labours, and we have the honour to send you a preliminary notification by telegraph."
Mr. Chien Kuang si, the deputy from this Ministry, has also telegraphed in
the above sense, and I have the honour to inform you accordingly,
I also have the honour to inform you that the deputies appointed by the Wai- chiao Pu and the Ministry of the Interior for the inspection of Kiangsu have left Peking, and that a telegrain has been received from the Governor of Kiangsu statin that the province is sending the expectant Taoyin, Mr. Yü Shou Chang, as an additional delegate.
WU TING FANG.
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