CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 8

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL,

[11818]

No. 1.

6

CO 14293

[April 7.]

ECO

SECTION 2012 MAY 10,

Sir,

India Office to Foreign Office.—(Received April 7.)

India Office, April 6, 1910.

I AM directed by the Secretary of State for India in Council to refer to my letter dated the 25th November, 1909, on the subject of the restriction of opium production in China, and in continuation of my letter dated the 24th March, 1910, to forward for the information of Sir Edward Grey a copy of a telegram dated the 19th March, 1910, from the Government of India.

I am to suggest that, if Sir Edward Grey sees no objection, His Majesty's Minister at Peking should be instructed to approach the Chinese Government, and offer on certain conditions an extension for a further period of three years, with effect from the 1st January, 1911, of the existing arrangement for the progressive reduction of the export of opium from India and the production of opium in China.

The conditions might include those suggested in the Government of India's telegram, and also those set out in paragraphs 12 and 13 of the enclosed extract from an earlier letter from the Government of India on the subject of giving effect to the progressive reduction of the export of opium from India.

I am to add that if Sir Edward Grey considers it desirable to obtain Sir J. Jordan's views on the sufficiency and suitability of the proposed conditions before they are communicated to the Chinese Government, Viscount Morley has no objection to this course being followed.

I am, &c.

COLIN G. CAMPBELL.

Encloure 1 in No. 1.

Government of India to Viscount Morley,

(Telegraphic.) P.

March 19, 1910. IN reply to your telegram about opium, dated the 25th February. Subject to enquiry by selected consular officer we agree to further reduction of exports in 1911. Selected officer would presumably be Tosie; the assistants considered necessary should be chosen by him and should work under his orders. But enquiry in 1910 can only give starting point for estimating future reductions, and unless continued in subsequent years will not prove of great practical value. We think that the following lines might be adopted in approaching China. First, there is an admitted absence oftrust worthy statistics of cultivation in China prior to 1908; and presumably, therefore, Chinese Government will be unable to supply strict proof that the conditions of our mutual undertaking have been completely fulfilled. Secondly, sincerity of China is, however, acknowledged by British Government, who will accept evidence of partial success to following extent, viz., that exports shall continue to be diminished proportionately for three more years, 1911 to 1913, on terms previously agreed on, with the further condition that, as proposed above, enquiry be made in 1910 and repeated in subsequent years, so that we may obtain trustworthy evidence of the extent to which opiun cultivation in China has been reduced.

(Extract.)

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

Government of India to Viscount Morley.

October 28, 1910.

11. In the scheme formulated in paragraph 4 above, we have proceeded on the assumption of a progressive yearly reduction of 10 per cent. in our total exports to

[2719 g-2}

Page