CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 295

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL

C O

293

[June 21.120142

RECO

SECTION 20 JUL 10,

[21312]

No. 1.

Foreign Office to India Office.

Sir,

Foreign Office, June 21, 1910. WITH reference to your letter of the 17th instant, 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 letter from Messrs. E. D. Sassoon and Co.,* complaining of the action of the Canton authorities in imposing regulations levying a new tax on prepared opium, which they contend is in practice a tax levied on raw opium, and consequently a breach of the Chefoo Convention.

Sir E. Grey proposes, subject to Lord Morley's concurrence, to inform Messrs. Sassoon that his attention has been called to the matter, that Mr. Max Müller has told the Wai-wu Pu that His Majesty's Government could not accept any regulations which enforced an additional duty on raw foreign opium in a treaty port, and that the Wai-wu Pu had undertaken to inform the Canton Viceroy, and were calling for a report.

Sir E. Grey further proposes to give them the substance of Mr. Max Müller's telegram No. 110 of the 11th June, copy of which is enclosed herein for convenience of reference,† and to emphasise the opinion expressed by their agent at Canton that the regulations do not infringe the additional article of the Chefoo Convention.

Sir E. Grey would also refer them to the reply which he returned to Mr. Rees, M.P., in the House of Commons on the 16th instant on this subject.

I am, &c.

F. A. CAMPBELL.

[2793 -2]

* Messrs. E. D. Sassoon and Co., June 14, 1910.

† Mr. Max Muller, No. 110, Telegraphic, June 11, 1910.

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