CO129-369 - Acting Governor May Governor Sir Lugard - 1910 [10-11] — Page 485

433

Conf

2. Bere is some

A ty ta d

1 The

Sir John Jordan's Despatch of 24th. June, 1909,

7.0.

Prints), assured in a very limited period by the friendly

action of Great Britain. He even went so far as to suggest

严

that if China abolished "ative Opium in a less time then

that covered by the Indian Agreement, she would have a

strong claim to insist on the cessation of Indian imports

at a date prior to the one agreed upon. In these circums-

Submit

-tances I suggest that in a matter so vital to the financi-

-al interests of a very large and important section of this

community, the views held by His Majesty's Government and

formally announced to and eventually concurred in by the

Chinese Government at Peking have found a somewhat

+

equivocal exponent in His Majesty's Consul-General at

Canton.

3.

The third point which I desire to

bring to your very special attention is the gravity of the

Conf Gov. 30677

financial aspect of this matter. Sir Henry May in his

Despatch of 5th. September, 1910, states that the

illegal action of the Viceroy had resulted in the

accumulation of stocks in this Colony valued at close on

Four Million Sterling, that already large losses had

been incurred not only by the Tirms dealing in Opium but

by the Banks and all the other industries affected by a

commerce