CO129-345 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 235

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government)

Inclosure 3 in No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Consul-General Sir P. Warren.

(No. 44) Sir,

I BEG to acknowledge receipt of your despatch No. 99 of the 18th instant,

Peking, July 30, 1907. forwarding copy of a letter from the Shanghae Branch of the China Association, in which the Committee express their apprehension that the suppression of the opium trade contemplated by the Chinese Government may affect the Whangpoo conservancy scheme. It is suggested that, in the event of these apprehensions being realized, steps should be taken to obtain a guarantee from the Chinese Government that the necessary funds for the conservancy work, as laid down in Article X of the Convention of September 1905, should be forthcoming.

There is, so far as I know, uo evidence that the security given under the Convention has yet in any way been impaired, but should the opium legislation which is now being introduced result in the diminution of the revenues pledged for the Whangpoo con- servancy scheme, I have no doubt that the Chinese Government will see that other steps are taken for the fulfilment of the obligation which it has contracted with the Treaty Powers, The Whangpoo conservancy work is of far too important a nature to admit of its being affected by any internal fiscal arrangements, and the good faith of the Chinese Government is, after all, the best guarantee that it will be duly executed,

I am, &c.

(Signed)

J. N. JORDAN.

CHINA TRADE.

CONFIDENTIAL.

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No. 1.

Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan,

[September 30.]

SECTION 1.

(No. 877.)

Foreign Office, September 30, 1907. Sir,

I HAVE received your despatch No. 377 of the 7th August last respecting the refusal of the Municipal Council of Shanghae to comply with the request of the Chinese authorities to close the opium shops in the International Settlement until some serious effort should have been made by the Chinese Government to deal with the opium question.

重

approve your action in bringing to the knowledge of the Municipal Council the views of His Majesty's Government in accordance with the terms of my despatch to you No. 231 of the 14th June.

I am, &c. (Signed) E. GREY.

Inclosure 4 in No. 1.

Extract from the " Times" of June 26, 1907.

THE ANTI-OPIUM MOVEMENT.

THE opium question is one of inconceivable difficulty, and the best local opinion is divided regarding the weight of the movement for the suppression of the use of the drug. The sacrifice of income forms an impenetrable harrier to any serious effort on the part of the Govern rent, and meanwhile the lesser officials are endeavouring to obtain notoriety by trivial steps and meaningless Proclamations. Trustworthy informa tion from Hsüchow Eu, the chief producing district for the supply of Shanghae and Su-chau, reports that the year's crop is unusually good, and that the area under cultivation with the poppy is undiminished. Similar accounts come from the Province of Szechuan. The customs duty revenue furnishes evidence that the import is equal to that of former years.

The acceptance by the foreign Powers of Article X of the Whangpoo Conservancy Convention precludes interference with the status quo without an alternative guarantee.

The absence of opposition to the closing of the 700 opium-houses in the native city is to be ascribed to the permission granted to continue the retail sale. The importance of these dens is not comparable with that of the 1,600 houses in the foreign Settlement and that of the 320 in the French Settlement, many of which are opulent and luxurious rendezvous of the native merchants. The advantages of the existing supervision under licence are obvious.

Shanghae, June 25, 1907.

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