This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
178
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
C.O.
10574
REC I 25 MAR 08
[February 22.]
SECTION 3.
[6159]
(No. 23.) Sir,
No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.(Received February 22.)
Peking, January 8, 1908. I HAVE the honour to transmit to you, with reference to your telegram No. 2 of the 4th instant, copy of a Memorandum which I handed to his Excellency Yuan Shih-K'ai yesterday, stating the views of His Majesty's Government on the question as to whether the total annual export of opium from India should be reduced by 5,100 chests, or the import into China should, as the Chinese Government proposed, be annually diminished by 4,232 chests, and explaining the conditions under which the alternative proposals would be carried out, and the results which would follow in each case.
His Excellency had not time at the moment to give the document more than a cursory perusal, but in acknowledging the sympathetic attitude of His Majesty's Government on the question generally, he promised to study the contents of the paper and furnish me with a reply in due course.
I am forwarding a copy of this despatch to the Government of India.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
J. N. JORDAN.
OPIUM.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated by Sir J. Jordan to Yuan Shih-Kʻai.
In the note of the Wai-wu Pu of the 2nd December, 1907, it was observed that "the number of chests given as the annual import into China of Indian opium differs from the Board's own estimate. According to the Customs Returns, the average total import during the five years 1901-5 was 42,327 chests. It is requested that the proportion annually diminished may be based upon that figure."
It is pointed out by His Majesty's Government that the figure given by them, viz., 51,000 chests, includes all the consignments made from India to Hong Kong or the Treaty ports of China.
It would be more advantageous to China that India should reduce her total export by 5,100 chests than by 4,332 chests per annum. But if China proposes to enter into Conventions with all the Treaty Powers in order to herself restrict the import of opium at the ports, the Customs figures would be accepted by His Majesty's Government for computing the average.
If direct restriction is applied at the Treaty ports, India would then be free to regulate her export beyond the seas according to demand, and the proposal to reduce by one-tenth per annum would be dropped. Any restriction which might be imposed in India on the quantity of opium shipped for any given destination would always be liable to evasion by transhipment or an alteration of the ship's destination.
There are thus two alternatives: (1) India limits her total export to all countries. (2.) China limits import into the Treaty ports.
The consent of all the Powers would be requisite to the second alternative. Peking, January 7, 1908.
[284) g-
-3]
This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
178
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
C.O.
10574
REC I 25 MAR 08
[February 22.]
SECTION 3.
[6159]
(No. 23.) Sir,
No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.(Received February 22.)
Peking, January 8, 1908. I HAVE the honour to transmit to you, with reference to your telegram No. 2 of the 4th instant, copy of a Memorandum which I handed to his Excellency Yuan Shih-K'ai yesterday, stating the views of His Majesty's Government on the question as to whether the total annual export of opium from Judia should be reduced by 5,100 chests, or the import into China should, as the Chinese Government proposed, be annually diminished by 4,232 chests, and explaining the conditions under which the alternative proposals would be carried out, and the results which would follow in each case.
His Excellency had not time at the moment to give the document more than a cursory perusal, but in acknowledging the sympathetic attitude of His Majesty's Government on the question generally, he promised to study the contents of the paper and furnish me with a reply in due course.
I am forwarding a copy of this despatch to the Government of India.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
J. N. JORDAN.
OPIUM.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated by Sir J. Jordan to Yuan Shih-Kʻai.
In the note of the Wai-wu Pu of the 2nd December, 1907, it was observed that "the number of chests given as the annual import into China of Indian opium differs from the Board's own estimate. According to the Customs Returus, the average total import during the five years 1901-5 was 42,327 chests. It is requested that the proportion annually diminished may be based upon that figure."
It is pointed out by His Majesty's Government that the figure given by them, viz., 51,000 chests, includes all the consignments made from Todia to Hong Kong or the Treaty ports of China.
It would be more advantageous to China that India should reduce her total export by 5,100 chests than by 4,332 chests per annum. But if China proposes to enter into Conventions with all the Treaty Powers in order to herself restrict the import of opium at the ports, the Customs figures would be accepted by His Majesty's Government for computing the average.
If direct restriction is applied at the Treaty ports, India would then be free to regulate her export beyond the seas according to demand, and the proposal to reduce by one-tenth per annum would bo dropped. Any restriction which might be imposed in India on the quantity of opium shipped for any given destination would always be liable to evasion by transhipment or an alteration of the ship's destination.
There are thus two alternatives: (1) India limits her total export to all countries. (2.) China limits import into the Treaty ports.
The consent of all the Powers would be requisite to the second alternative. Peking, January 7, 1908.
[284) g-
-3]
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