CO129-383 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 360

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

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(Telegraphic.) P.

(4.)

The Government of India to Viscount Morley,

April 30, 1911. WITH reference to your two opium telegrams dated 27th April, our proposals, of course, referred only to sales of opium that is earmarked, and the objections are serious to any reduction in the quantity of exports of certified opium already announced by us for the current calendar year. Having regard to the intimation in the telegram of 27th April from Sir J. Jordan that the suggestion we made in telegram dated 26th April is accepted by the Chinese, it is presumed that no change in the May auction will be pressed for by you, and Bengal Government is being instructed to that effect.

(5.)

The Government of India to Viscount Morley.

(Telegraphic.) P.

April 30, 1911. WITH regard to yesterday's telegram to Sir J. Jordan from Sir Edward Grey, we understand that the following represents the intention of the draft agreement dealing with the future reduction. Supposing that 24,000 chests represents the quantity of opium non-certified in Hong Kong and the China treaty ports at date of the agreement, together with the non-certified opium admitted Canton and Shanghai within two months from that date, we should in that case have to alter our sales and our exports of certified opium from the present progressively diminishing to the following scale : 1911, 30,600 chests; 1912, 17,500 chests; 1913, 12,400 chests; 1914, 7,300 chests; thereafter 10,200 chests, and so on. Is our interpretation right?

16359

heep Brasi8 MAY 11

[May 3.]

OPIUM.

SECTION 2.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[16857]

No. 1.

Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan.

(No. 79.) (Telegraphic.) R.

Foreign Office, May 3, 1911. TERAL. Your telegram No. 110 of the 2nd May: Opium. We accept your view that certificated opium in bond or in Hong Kong when enhanced customs duty comes into force will be liable to the new rate of duty, viz., 350 taels. Chinese Government should be required to enforce repeal of all provincial restrictions and taxation on wholesale trade simultaneously with enforcement of the higher rate of duty.

Government of India were instructed on the 27th April to make no announcement to the trade regarding the terms of settlement until they learn that the agreement has been actually signed.

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