CO129-383 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 548

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

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OPIUM.

RECE REG 16 JUN 11

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CONFIDENTIAL.

[February 17.]

SECTION 1.

[6024]

No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received February 17.)

(No. 51.) (Telegraphic.) P. OPIUM.

Peking, February 17, 1911.

With reference to your telegram No. 29 of the 15th instant stocks of opium at Hong Kong and Shanghai amount to 17,701 chests, and their approximate value is 43,900,000 dollars (about 3,658,0001.). When the Chinese delegate's attention was called to-day to the question of the entry into China of opium exported from India before 1911, he said he was surprised at this new proposal. Unless there was a corresponding reduction in the import of earmarked opium for 1911 he said it would be very difficult to accede to it.

The memorandum of the 1st November was based on Mr. Max Müller's telegram No. 162 of the 29th September and your telegram No. 138 of the 24th October, in which it was clearly contemplated that a time-limit would be granted for clearing off existing stocks.

The telegram from the Indian Government of the 1st December was our first intimation of the present proposal, but as the negotiations with the Wai-wu Pu were broken off on the 5th December it was never submitted to them.

I therefore venture to submit that the principle of a time-limit cannot well he abandoned by us.

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