CO129-383 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 189

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OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[47047]

No. 1.

[December 30.]

SECTION 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.~(Received December 30.)

(No. 211.) (Telegraphic.) P.

Peking, December 30, 1910. ÕPIUM. With reference to my telegram No. 206 of the 23rd instant, I have received a reply under yesterday's date from the Wai-wu Pa, who expressed gratifi- cation that His Majesty's Government should have once more so courteously evinced the desire of lending China their assistance.

The Board state that the question should be reconsidered in the light of the present situation, but that they do not want to reject or introduce any unreasonable modifications in the proposals contained in Mr. Max Müller's memorandum of the 1st November last.

They assert that during the last three years native opium has been reduced by more than the proportion of one-tenth per year. The Wai-wn Pu feels sure that Great Britain will accept this fact without question. At the present time China's attention is more especially directed towards shortening the period for total extinction, and prohibiting immediately cultivation and smoking. Naturally there will be no market in China for foreign opium if total extinction of native opium is effected in less than seven years.

Until it is effected, however, the Wai-wn Pu give their formal assurance that the treatment accorded to imports of foreign and Indian opium under the agree- ment for yearly proportional reduction may be continued temporarily. With regard to earmarking, they beg that His Majesty's Government's promise be put into execution at once, so that the number of chests which may be imported on the reduced scale in accordance with the agreement may tally with the chests so earmarked.

But they also request a definite undertaking from His Majesty's Government that steps will be taken to prevent the importation of Indian or foreign opium into any province where the native drug shall have been extinguished.

The note states in conclusion that they are appointing an official to negotiate further with this legation.

The proposal for extinction province by province is prompted by the consideration that a province such as Shansi, where cultivation has been totally suppressed, keenly resents the growth of the plant in other provinces and the import of Indian opium. But in its present vague form it would meet with great difficulties of a practical kind. It would be very difficult for us to check the import of native opium, the prevention of which would presumably be included in extinction. Our consent might perhaps be given that Indian opium should not receive transit passes for inland provinces where extinction has been completely effected, but I doubt whether even this concession would prove practicable.

In my telegram No. 205 of the 22nd instant I expressed the view that until the agreement of the 1st November had been accepted by the Chinese Government we were under no obligation to commence to earmark chests, and I still adhere to that view.

Provided clear proof of total extinction of native opium can be produced by the Chinese Government, 1 venture to think that our consent might be given to the suggested cessation of import of foreign opium in less than seven years.

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