CO129-383 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 303

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on any international agreement, and it has always been competent for the Chinese Government to regulate and tax the retail consumption and to punish consumers who break its rules by confiscating the drug, provided that the Indian opium is not discriminated against or the special terms agreed upon for its importation, sale and transit disregarded; that, in short, the gradual diminution of its import is not conditional on the unrestricted use throughout China of the amount of Indian opiuma ); imported.

I hesitate, however, to make so uncompromising a pronouncement without your sanction, and I have the honour to suggest that your opinion may be communicated to me by telegraph.

I have, &c.

E. H. FRASER.

[This Docnment is the Procenty of His Ayitannic Majesty's Government.}

299

15372

RU U MY ||

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[April 26.]

SECTION 2.

[15077]

No. 1.

Sir,

Foreign Office to India Office.

Foreign Office, April 26, 1911. I AM directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to transmit to you, to be laid before the Secretary of State for India, the accompanying copy of a letter which has been received from Messrs. H. C. Dixon and Co., enquiring whether any new regulations which may be enacted in the future by China, as a result of the negotiations which are now proceeding at Peking in regard to the importation of Indian opium into China, will apply also to Turkish, Persian, and other growths of opium,

Sir E. Grey proposes to reply, if Lord Morley sees no objection, to the effect that the arrangement in question refers to India only, because she alone among opium- growing countries has treaty rights with China by which she may, subject to certain conditions, import opium into China, and that the opium of other countries, should it at any time be imported, would in any case not receive treatment more favourable than that accorded to opium imported from India.

(1973 cc-2]

I am,

&c.

F. A. CAMPBELL.

* Messrs. H. C. Dixon and Co., April 21, 1911.

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