CO129-382 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 414

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[4054]

C O 7235

[February 3.]

SECTION 3.

Prof 6 MAR No. 1.

Sir,

India Office to Foreign Office.—Received February 3.)

India Office, February 2, 1911.

1 AM directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated the 28th January, 1911, forwarding copy of Sir John Jordan's telegram No. 24, dated the 28th January, 1911, on the subject of the representations of Messrs. David Sassoon and other Indian opium importers regarding the earmarking by the Government of ludia of 15,440 chests of Bengal opium for export to Chioa.

This

In Sir Arthur Godley's letter, dated the 29th May, 1907, to the Foreign Office, it was stated that, "In the five years 1901-1905, the sales of Bengal opinni for export averaged about 48,000 chests a-year, of which about 32,000 chests were taken by China. In the same period the exports of Malwa opium averaged 19,000 chests a-year, the whole of which went to China. The gross export of Indian opium beyond seas in the live years thus averaged 67,000 chests a-year, of which China took 51,000 chests." statement is in conformity with the Indian statistics of export for the period, and also with the statistics of import into the treaty ports published by the Chinese Maritime Customs. According to these figures the final destination of 16,000 chests of Indian opium was other than China, and it was on this basis that His Majesty's Government arranged with China that the total opium export from India should be reduced progressively at the rate of 5,100 chests a-year, that being one-tenth of the estimated

'hinese portion.

Messrs. Sassoon's statement that the requirements of non-Chinese countries are far below 186,000 chests a-year can be correct only on the supposition that cousiderable quantities of Indian opium have in the past been smuggled into China from Hong Kong and other non-Chinese ports. This may or may not have been the case. But even if the fact were as stated, it would not be a valid reason for increasing the proportion of certificated opium and decreasing the uncertificated. For the present, and until the Chinese Government obtain the requisite treaty power to exclude from some future date uncertificated opium, there is, and will be, no distinction between certificated and uncertificated opium. Both kinds have the right of admission into Chinese territory. Hereafter, should it be found that the quantity of uncertificated Indian opium is in excess of the requirements of countries other than China, it will he always open to the Government of India to reduce the permissible amount of uncertificated export.

In explanation of the figures given by Messrs. D. Sassoon, I am to explain that for the year 1911 the total permissible export of opium from India has been fixed in accordance with the Anglo-Chinese arrangement at 46,600 chests, of which 31,440 chests will consist of " Bengal," or Government opium, and 15,160 chests will be Malwa opium. All the Malwa opium and 15,440 chests of Bengal opium will be covered, if the exporters so desire, by special certificates guaranteeing admission to China; the remaining chests (16,000) will be sold without certificates.

As the certificates apply only to the admission of the opium to Chinese treaty ports, they in no way affect the right of importation into Hong Kong.

I am, &c.

R. RITCHIE.

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