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This Document is the Propert
His Britannic Majesty's Government.
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[January 5.]
SECTION 1.
K
[241]
(No. 5.)
(Telegraphic.) P.
No. 1.
Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan.
SHANGHAE Opium Commission.
Foreign Office, January 5, 1909.
It is strongly urged by the Government of India that, in the best interests of India, the following two points should be excluded from the scope of the inquiry: (1) The issue and consumption of opium in India, and (2) the arrangements for the provisional and gradual restriction of the opium trade between India and China.
If the Commission raise these two points, it is hardly possible for us to refuse to discuss them; but as regards the second, it occurs to the India Office that the Chinese Government may be disposed to tell the Commission that the arrangement concluded with His Majesty's Government is satisfactory to them. The evidence goes to show that the limit of ten years which has been fixed by the Chinese Government is none too long for suppressing the opium trade in China, and it would be unfair to ask the Government of India to revise the Agreement at the present stage. If any revision is to take place, the proper time would be two or three years hence, when it would be possible to determine with more accuracy what progress the reforms had made in China.
If you see no objection, please endeavour to ascertain what attitude the Chinese Government take up regarding the present arrangement and the ten years' period, as the India Office consider that it would be advantageous if you could do so.
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