[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
292
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[3512]
No. 1.
5653 [January 31.]
SECTTONO 224 FEB 10,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received January 31.)
(No. 15.) Sir,
Peking, January 11, 1910. WITH reference to my despatch No. 495 of the 30th ultimo, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch from His Majesty's consul-general at Shaughae, respecting the action of the Chinese authorities at Nanking with regard to the Ho Chun hong.
Until I received Sir Pelham Warren's despatch I was not aware that the consular body at Shanghae had made representations on the subject to the Viceroy, but, as the offending manager of the hong has been released, it appears to me that as much has been done as the requirements of the case demand. As for Messrs. Sassoon's statement, contained in the last paragraph of the enclosed despatch, the information conveyed in the despatch from His Majesty's consul-general at Canton No. 119 of the 29th ultimo, copy of which was transmitted in my despatch No. 14 of the 10th instant, shows that the views and statements of the foreign importers must be accepted with a certain amount of caution, and cannot be considered as always absolutely reliable.
Enclosure I in No. 1.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN,
Consul-General Warren to Sir J. Jordan.
(No. 90.) Sir,
Shanghae, December 31, 1909. WITH reference to your despatch No. 78 of the 15th instant, enclosing translation of the Wai-wn Pu's memorandum of the 10th instant on the subject of the Ho Chang opium hong at Nanking, I have the honour to transmit herewith copy of a letter on the same subject addressed by the consular body here to the Viceroy at Nanking on the 25th October last, at the instance of the Shanghae General Chamber of Commerce; a translation of the Viceroy's reply dated the 23rd ultimo is also enclosed. With reference to your telegram No. 53 of the 25th instant, regarding the release of the manager of this hong, I am informed by Messrs. E. D. Sassoon and Co. that his release only took place after he had been compelled by means of corporal punishment to sign the undertaking referred to in my telegram No. 48 of the 14th instant, not to reopen the houg, and to consent to the confiscation of the opium seized therein.
I have, &c.
PELHAM L, WARREN.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Excellency,
Senior Consul Siffert to Governor-General Chang Jen Chün.
October 25, 1909. I HAVE the honour to inform you that the Shanghae General Chamber of Commerce reports as follows :-
"In December last steps were taken in the Kiangnan province to limit the number of hongs and shops dealing in opium, and to this end regulations were drawn up with the authority of the governor-general of Nanking. These regulations disclosed a tendency towards monopolising the trade amongst a few Chinose dealers. The governor-general, however, definitely stated that the regulations applied solely to the native drug and not the imported. It appears that only three hongs were concerned in the selling of the native drug, and, in the absence of competition, they were purchasing and selling foreign opinm, the exorbitant rates restricting the trade.
"On the above assurance that the regulations applied only to the native drug,
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