CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 445

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

OPIUM.

(CONFIDENTIAL.

[25498]

No. 1.

[July 149 3222

SECTION 1.

R28 JU 10)

(No. 208.) Sir,

Mr. Max Müller to Sir Eduard Grey.-(Received July 14.)

Peking, June 23, 1910. WITH reference to my despatch No. 92 of the 31st March last, I have the honour to transmit herewith copy of a despatch which I have received from His Majesty's consul at Chungking on the subject of opium eradication in certain parts of Eastern Szechuan, embodying information furnished by the Rev. A. E. Claxton, of the London Mission, as the result of a two months' journey in the Foochow district, and by Père Lorain, procureur of the Mission catholique at Chungking. While these reports show that the farmers of the Foochow district, especially referred to in my above-mentioned despatch as defying the prohibition orders, seem determined to continue the cultivation of the poppy, they do not substantially modify the statements made therein as to the great reduction of opium cultivation in the province of Szechuan in the 1909-10

season.

I have, &c.

W. G. MAX MÜLLER,

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

(No. 21.) Sir,

Acting Consul Smith to Mr. Max Müller.

Chungking, June 9, 1910. I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith a report, supplementary to that enclosed

in my despatch No. 11 of the 28th February last, on opium eradication in certain parts of Ch'uan Tung (Eastern Szechuan).

I have, &c.

J. L. SMITH.

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

Supplementary Report on Opium Eradication in certain Parts of Ch'uan Tung (Eastern Szechuan). Season 1909-10.

IN the report on the eradication of opium in Eastern Szechuan, enclosed in Chungking despatch No. 11 of the 28th February last, it was stated that Foochow was the only place in the district where the viceregal proclamation of last autumn prohibiting cultivation of the poppy had been flagrantly disobeyed. The taotai had been specially instructed to proceed there to deal with the question, but, at the time of writing, reliable information as to the results of this visit was not available.

The Rev. A. E. Claxton, of the London Mission, has recently returned from a journey of some two months' duration through the Foochow and surrounding magistracies-an area in which poppy has been the principal winter crop in past years. The places visited include Wanhsien, Chungehou and P'a shan ssu, Shih Chu, Fengtu, Foochow, Changshou, and Nanchuan. Cross cuts were taken, and much of the journey was off high roads or on those which are less frequented. A considerable portion of the journey was made when the poppy was either in flower or being harvested, so that an opinion could be easily formed of the effect which was being given to the orders for the suppression of cultivation.

Mr. Claxton, addition to personal observation, also made careful enquiries into the subject throughout his journey and has kindly furnished me with the information given below.

In an appendix is given, in extenso, a report covering much of the same ground, drawn up from information with which native priests have furnished him, by Père Lorain, procureur of the Mission catholique in Chungking. For a copy of this report I am indebted to the courtesy of the French consul here.

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