CO129-345 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 319

}

#

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government) 316

CHINA TRADE,

CONFIDENTIAL.

[32850]

No. 1.

38099

[Ocbd 2.]

Re: 28 OCT 07 SECTION 1.

Sir,

Messrs. Sassoon and Co. to Foreign Office.-(Received October 2.)

9, Fenchurch Avenue, London, October 1, 1907. WITH further reference to your letter of the 14th ultimo, in which we were informed that, pending issue of negotiations between His Majesty's Minister at Peking and the Chinese Government, the whole scheme relating to the Opium Monopoly Bureau had been postponed, we now have the honour to inclose copy of letter, dated the 4th ultimo, addressed by our Shanghae house to His Britannic Majesty's Acting Consul-General at that port.

We beg to direct attention to the concluding paragraph relative to the increase of 20 per cent, in the native opium crop in Szcehuen-the largest opium-producing district in China-as, in view of the negotiations now proceeding, this information may be of interest to His Majesty's Government.

E. D. SASSOON AND Co.

We have, &c. (Signed)

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Sir,

Messrs, Sassoon and Co. (Shanghae Branch) to Acting Consul-General Twyman.

Shanghae, September 4, 1907. WE beg to hand you inclosed a copy and a translation of the second Proclamation issued at Nanking with regard to the opiam monopoly. You will observe that the date of issue is not given, but our dealers have already written to Nanking to ascertain

same.

We would also bring to your notice that we have received telegraphic advices from our Hong Kong firm that 100 chests of Bengal opium, and about 50 chests of Malwa opium, were purchased at their end, and almost all of which were shipped to Nanking by Wonghunsun, of the Samtai Hong, who is a representative of the Opium Monopoly Bureau at Nanking. Large quantities of Chinese opium have also been sent from time to time to that port on account of the said Bureau.

We omitted to state in the letter, dated the 2nd ultimo, addressed to Sir Pelham Warren, and signed by other importers and ourselves, that, according to reliable reports received early in May last from Chinese dealers, the out-turn of the Chinese opium crop in Szechuen, which is the largest opium-producing district, was about 20 per cent, in excess of that of the previous year. This should be taken into serious consideration by His Britannic Majesty's Government. If the Chinese Government were to decrease the large areas in the interior under poppy cultivation it would be a more effective measure than the course which they have taken.

Your, &c.

(Signed) E. D. SASSOON AND Co.

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Proclamation issued by the Opium Bureau at Nanking.

NOTICE is hereby given that this Bureau-General has started business since the 25th day of the 6th moon (3rd August, 1907). The Bureau has decided to begin the sale of officially prepared opium on the 1st day of the 8th moon (8th September, 1907). Opium dealers and owners of opium dens which have been ordered to be closed should send in.their names if they are willing to act as agents for this Bureau for the sale of officially prepared opium, in order that inquiries may be made concerning them before permits are issued to them. (A notice to this effect has already been issued.) As soon as the sale of officially prepared opium begins, in accordance with its Regulations, a

[2677 6-1]