CO129-382 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 155

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Excellency to send our request to the British Government that the opium clauses of all treaties may be abrogated, so that our Government may at once prohibit all opium at home and from abroad. We assure your Excellency that the people of China, as never We are preparing for a before, will stand by our Government in this great task. constitution, and feel that, at all costs, we must free our land speedily from this vice. We wish to be strong for the great work of self-government.

We want to

We thank your Excellency for all the efforts of your Government to hasten the 】 prohibition of the opium trade, but we must use still greater effort. hasten the day when our people may not find the drug to tempt them, and so we are Our destroying the opium crops and preventing further growth whenever we can. Government cannot, however, at present prevent the importation of the foreign drug, because of the old treaty signed fifty years ago. It makes our task so much the more difficult.

But we know that the British people have ever been known to be a righteous We ask your Excellency, is it nation, and will not see wrong done if they can help it. right for your country to continue sending the poison to us when we are so earnestly fighting the habit in our own Empire? Our 400,000,000 of people are much poorer than your Excellency's rich nation, but we are willing to sacrifice everything so as to get rid of this terrible vice. Is it too much to ask the British Government, through your Excellency, to cease compelling us to receive the drug any longer?

Our own Government are considering the question, and will in the near future we hope communicate with your Excellency, asking for the right to totally prohibit the importation of opium. We ask now, however, on behalf of the poople.

Sir,

On behalf of the provincial branch of the Chinese National Anti-Opium Society, TING I-HUA.

(Accompanied by the card of "Edward Waite Thwing.")

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

Mr. Scott to Mr. Thwing.

Peking, November 30, 1910.

your letter I AM directed by His Majesty's Minister to acknowledge the receipt of of the 25th instant, in which you urge the desirability, in the interests of the movement in China to eradicate the opium habit, of abrogating all the opium clauses in the

treaties.

In reply, I am to say that the opium question is at present the subject of negotia- tion between the British and Chinese Governments, and that the decision as to what measures it may be desirable to take in the interests of those concerned must rest with the responsible authorities.

I am, &c.

E. S. SCOTT.

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[45289]

со

622

[December 20.]

Rece

Went 7 JAN 11

SECTION 1.

No. 1.

Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan,

153

(No. 160.) (Telegraphic.) R.

Foreign Office, December 20, 1910. YOUR telegrams Nos. 194 and 196 of 5th and 6th December: Opium. We have learnt with regret sudden change of attitude on the part of Chinese Government, which is all the more unexpected as the proposal for the extension of the three years' arrangement for a further period of seven years has been accepted by them in principle, and was, indeed, their own suggestion.

Mr. Max Müller's memorandum of November last was expressly intended to give effect to the wishes of China, and was merely the final stage of what was understood to be a complete understanding between the two Governments on essential points. Its rejection and the proposed substitution of an entirely new basis for negotiations, after the Chinese Government had on 21st September last expressed their gratitude for the generous attitude of His Majesty's Government, tend to show that the new proposals have not received full consideration.

Chinese Government, moreover, appear to forget that the existing restrictions on the exports of Indian opium are not imposed by treaty, but have been voluntarily accepted by the Indian Government as part of an informal arrangement between China and Great Britain. This arrangement will terminate on 31st December in default of an understanding between the two Governments as to its renewal.

One of the conditions of the expiring agreement is that China should furnish proof that the production of opium in China had been reduced proportionately to the reduction in the export from India. The Chinese Government have admitted their inability to do so. When, therefore, the present agreement expires, the Indian Government will be without the evidence which would require them to continue the policy of reducing the export of Indian opium progressively. On the other hand, they will be entitled to insist that the provisions of existing treaties with regard to the import of opium into China and to freedom of trade shall be strictly observed by Chinese Government, and that if they wish to modify those provisions they must proceed in the usual way by negotiation with the treaty Powers.

It is, however, to be hoped that, on further examination of Mr. Max Müller's memorandum and of the position which will arise if it is set aside, the Chinese Govern- ment will realise that it offers a liberal and reasonable solution of the opium question, and that its acceptance will be in the interests of China. China has always admitted that a direct arrangement of an informal kind for limiting the export of opium from India is preferable to the alternative method of negotiating with the Powers a revision. of the treaties. But any arrangement to be satisfactory to the interests of India must have regard to the fact that the two Governments originally agreed upon a period of ten years as not more than sufficient for the effectual accomplishment in China and India of so great a scheme of reform. Such evidence as exists shows that opium is still extensively cultivated in China, and that the Indian import is still relatively small. The Chinese Government no doubt realised this when they insisted on the present arrangement being extended for its full period of seven years.

You should inform Wai-wu Pu of the objections entertained to their action, and you should make it clear that, pending the resumption of negotiations on the basis of the November memorandum, His Majesty's Government will insist on the strict observance of treaty rights.

They should also understand that the Government of India are under no obligation to continue their restrictions on exportation beyond the end of the present month, and that they cannot be expected to do so unless they are satisfied that a new agreement which could be considered satisfactory is on the point of conclusion.

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