CO129-353 - Public Offices - 1908 — Page 22

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

CHINA TRADE.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[29855]

R

No. 1.

37615

21

Rece [August 28.5 OCT 08

SECTION 1.

India Office to Foreign Office-(Received August 28.)

Sir,

India Office, August 27, 1908. IN reply to your letter of the 17th instant, I am directed by the Secretary of State for India to inform you that he concurs in the suggestion that Mr. Leech's sccond Report on the opium question in China should be presented to Parliament subject to any necessary omissions.

I am to point out that the statement in lines 2 and 3 of the third page is not quite accurate and might lead to confusion, and to suggest that the passage should read as follows: "The Indian Government reduce the gross export from India, taken on the basis of 67,000 chests, of which 51,000 chests only were exported to China, by 5,100 per annum, being one-tenth of the latter amount, to commence," &c., and that

"from India." in the fourth line the words "to China" should follow

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs will no doubt take into consideration the advisability of a revision of the passage relating to the Joint Commission.

I am, &c. (Signed) COLIN G. CAMPBELL.

[1904 ee-1]