CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 123

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

RECO

121

17590

Rege 11 JUN 10,

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[15996]

No. 1.

Foreign Office to India Office.

[May 13.]

SECTION 1.

Sir,

Foreign Office, May 13, 1910. I AM directed by Secretary Sir Edward Grey to transmit to you, to be laid before the Secretary of State for India, the accompanying copy of a despatch* which has been received from Mr. Max Müller, His Majesty's chargé d'affaires at Peking, in regard to a complaint which has been made by the Chinese Government that, whereas it was agreed that from 1908 onwards the export of Indian opium should be reduced by 5,100 chests a year with a view to extinguishing the trade to China at the end of ten years, the customs returns show that, instead of only 40,800 chests, 42,182 chests of Indian opium were landed in China in 1909, and that, under these conditions, at the end of ten years Indian opium would still be imported to China.

Sir E. Grey would be glad to be favoured with Lord Morley's observations on the matter, as well as upon the reply returned by Mr. Max Müller to Prince Ch'ing,

I am, &c.

W. LANGLEY.

* Mr. Max Müller, No. 110, April 20, 1910.

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