CO129-373 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 529

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

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OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

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No. 1.

SECTION 1.

Wai-wu Pu to Chinese Legation.--(Communicated to Foreign Office by Sir J. McLeavy Brown, December 7, 1910.) (Translation.) (Telegraphic.)

Peking, December 5, 1910. A MEMORANDUM sotting out a new method of dealing with the question of the importation of opium from India was sent to the British Legation by this department. In the beginning of the 10th moon (November) this department received a memorandum in reply from the British chargé d'affaires, but in that memorandum nothing was said about the increase of tariff. We therefore informed the chargé d'affaires that that point must be put in before the question could be discussed. But as both parties have maintained each other's views on the point of the proposed increase of tariff no solution has been arrived at, and we are still communicating with the Ministry of Finance on the matter.

The National Assembly has, however, recently passed a resolution shortening the period originally fixed for the prohibition of opium smoking, poppy cultivation, and opium importation. As this resolution affects the question of opium importation from India, a new feature has been created in regard to the whole question of opium suppression.

Sir John Jordan called at this department to-day, asking us what was the leading idea of the proposed changes, and we replied that the question with regard to the importation of Indian opium should be decided in harmony with the period within which the total suppression of native opium is to be effected. Sir John Jordan then said that we were desiring to put aside what was said in the memorandum sent in by Mr. Max Müller merely on account of the agitation of two or three members of the National Assembly.

Now, as regards that memorandum, we have only consented to study it, but we have never said we have agreed to it. Moreover, it is absolutely impossible not to take any notice of public opinion on this question. Our request for the reduction of the period (fixed for the importation of opium from India to China) cannot be construed as a design on our part to put aside the said memorandum.

The movement for the suppression of opium is a work of benevolence, and has hitherto received great sympathy from the British Government. This question should not therefore be treated in the same way as other diplomatic questions. We will renew our negotiations on this question when we receive a reply from the Ministry of Finance.

Please inform the British Foreign Office, and reply by telegraph.

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