CO129-371 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 527

C.O.

This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government. 1

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Ichang coming under the cognisance of the Maritime Customs, and (2) and (3) by li-kin boats and overland by porters coming under the cognisance of native authorities who publish no statistics. At Ichang, however, the Maritime Customs exercise a concurrent supervision over li-kin boats passing through the port and keep a record of their cargo. The available statistics cover, in effect, only the traffic by the Yang-tsze route through this port. The Maritime Customs statistics at Chungking refer to chartered- junk-borne opium, whilst at Ichang they refer to opium arriving by li-kin boats, the opiuni arriving at Tchang by chartered junks being all, or practically all, in transit for down-river ports, and consequently omitted from the returns, although the quantity is sometimes mentioned in the body of the commissioner's report. The amount figuring in the export table of the Ichang returns represents that portion of the li-kin-junk- borne opium which is transhipped here to steamers, and is in reality a re-export. The total amount passing through Ichang is therefore ascertained by adding together the quantity arriving by li-kin boat from all up-river places and that arriving by chartered junks (ie., the export from Chungking). The 16,429 piculs referred to by Sir F. Lugard as exported (ie., by chartered junks) from Chungking in 1908 are included in the 17,132 piculs referred to as imported by chartered junks into Ichang, the slight discrepancy being doubtless accounted for by the amount in transit at the close of the year. These figures taken alone are thus quite valueless. The 11,000 piculs reported as passing through the Fowchow (Fuchou) office was probably included in the quantity recorded as arriving at Ichang by li-kin boats.

According to the figures in the Ichang customs reports for 1905 and 1906 and the figures furnished to me for 1907 and 1908, the movement of opium through Ichang (which includes a certain amount from Yünnan and Western Hupei), has increased at the rate of 4,000 to 5,000 piculs a year, froni 36,311 piculs in 1905 to 51,092 piculs in 1908. This increase is believed to be due to a diversion of traffic from the land routes consequent on the levy of a uniform duty, which has removed or lessened opportunities for differential treatment. These figures, however, as already stated, only cover the river traffic by the Yang-tsze route through Ichang, and do not necessarily, or even presumably, indicate augmented production.

With regard to the remark as to the surreptitious obtaining of the drug at Ichang, there was and is, no doubt, much evasion of the registration and licensing rules, but 1 am not aware the sale of opium has been declared illegal.

I have, &c.

H. A. LITTLE.

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[9956]

No. 1.

RECE

(REG? 21 APR 10

[March 10.] -

SECTION 2.

Question asked in the House of Commons, March 10, 1910.

Mr. Theodore C. Taylor,--To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, seeing that the production of opium in China is being very largely restricted, he is now prepared to respond to the desire of the Chinese Government to shorten the period of nearly eight years during which India is to continue to send opium to China.

Answer by Mr. Montagu (for Viscount Morley).

In undertaking, in response to the request of the Chinese Government, that the Indian opium traffic with China should, if certain conditions were fulfilled, be brought to a close within ten years, His Majesty's Government contemplated a settlement that would be final, and that was within the capacity of both countries to carry out, with due regard to the magnitude of the changes involved and interests affected. In this spirit it was accepted by the Chinese Government, which has not expressed a desire to reopen the question. The strict fulfilment of India's share of the agreement. has imposed serious burdens on the Indian Government and on the native States of India. His Majesty's Government are not disposed to disturb the settlement arrived at with the Chinese Government.

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