CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 372

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re opium suppression in Tsingtao, to which you refer in your letter of the 30th March last, is not correct.

The Government, indeed, has not renewed the concession for a quarter of the opium dens in the beginning of this year, and will probably continue further reducing the number of the dens. A fixed date for shutting up all the opium dens has, however, up to the present not been contemplated by the Kiauchou Government.

I am, &c.

H. G. MARCKWALD,

Imperial German Acting Consul,

i

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

со

21655

June 10.7 RECT SECTION 4UL 10.

[20787]

No. 1.

Mr. Hewett to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received June 10.)

(Telegraphic.) En elair.

Hong Kong, June 10, 1910. CANTON authorities now enforce tax whereby dues on prepared opium are collected from raw opium dealers whose licences are cancelled, and new licences can only be obtained through private Chinese firm, who have got Chinese Government monopoly. This forms breach of treaties, especially articles 2, 3, 5, and 7 of British Chefoo Agreement, 1885, and article 14 of French Treaty, 1858; raw opium trade entirely at standstill, and very large purchases made from Indian Government, with understanding that treaty rights would not be impaired, will now result in enormous losses unless new monopoly withdrawn. Consul-general, Canton, declines to act, stating tax not differential; chargé d'affaires hesitates to take other view than consuls. Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong, strongly protest against creation of monopoly contrary to treaty and imposition of new tax, and beg you will, after consideration, instruct chargé d'affaires to insist on fulfilment of treaty obligations.

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