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2
Enclosure in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated to Sir J. Jordan by the Wai-chiao Pu.
THE Wai-chiao Pu have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the memorandum from His Majesty's Minister, stating that, in the case of the nine chests of Indian opium seized at Ch'iang-t'ou in the province of Chekiang, the total loss owing to difference in value between the dates of seizure and release, interest, and miscellaneous expenses amounted to 7,124,715 taels, to which had to be added 500 dollars, the amount of the fine imposed, and that in the case of the one and a-half pieuls of Indian opium seized and detained at Hangchow, the interest from the date of seizure to the date of release and the expenses incurred in connection with this case amounted to a total loss of 56.55 taels.
The memorandum added that Sir John Jordan had, in accordance with instructions from His Majesty's Government, to request immediate payment of these sums.
The Wai-chiao Pu are now in receipt of a reply from the Chekiang Tutu, embodying his investigations into this matter, and stating that in both these cases of detention the goods were the property of Chinese merchants, on whom also fell any losses there may have been, and that British merchants were not involved.
The manner of settlement of these two cases should, therefore, be discussed by the Chinese merchants concerned direct with the local authorities: British merchants must
may
be not interfere. The Wai-chiao Pu have the honour to request that the above communicated to His Majesty's Government.
May 27,
1912.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
HU WEI-TË.
→
Enclosure 3 in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated to Sir J. Jordan by the Wai-chiao Pu.
556
THE Wai-chiao Pu have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the memorandum of the 21st May from His Majesty's Minister, reporting the receipt of telegrams from the Government of India and from the British consul-general at Canton, reporting the renewal at that port of obstructions to the foreign opium trade.
The memorandum under reply is entirely without detailed indications regarding the obstructions to the foreign opium trade at Canton, The Wai-chiao Pu have the honour, therefore, to request details as to the place, the owners of the foreign opinn, and the circumstances of the obstruction, to enable them to send instructions for thorough investigation,
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Sir John Jordan's memorandum goes on to state that "Szechuan and Shansi, which were declared free a year ago, are now in many districts ablaze with the poppy." luformation is also requested as to the districts in which are situated the places where the poppy is actually being recultivated and as to the names of those places, as to facilitate the issue of instructions for thorough investigation and suppression.
There is, however, one observation which inust be made, namely, that at the present time of change in the situation in China, whilst confusion is ite throughout the country, the local officials have not the leisure to attend to this question, and it is impossible to prevent all possibility of evil-disposed people taking the opportunity to resume the cultivation of opium. The Chinese Government, however, have not changed in the smallest degree their attitude towards the policy of opium suppression. Some time ago orders were issued by the President to persevere in this policy, and now that the situation is becoming settled, strict suppression has again heen enjoined. The peculiar conditions which have made their appearuce cannot be stigmatised as entire failure in the fulfilment of treaty obligations.
May 24, 1912.
HU WEI-TE.
Memorandum communicated to the Wai-chiao Pu by Sir J. Jordan,
SIR JOHN JORDAN has received the Wai-chiao Pu's memorandum of the 27th May, the contents of which have caused him considerable surprise.
It is not strange that the Tutu of Chekiang, whose short tenure of office has been marked by a flagrant disregard of all treaty rights, should have sought to contend that the seizure of Indian opium, while being conveyed into the interior by Chinese subjects, is no concern of British merchants, but as one who was connected with the negotiation of the 1885 Opium Agreement, who was present at its signature, and who has since watched its working with the closest interest, Sir John Jordan can affirm with confidence that this is the first time that any responsible Chinese Government has placed such an interpretation on the 3rd clause of that agreement, which stipulates that opiuma in which foreigners are interested must be conveyed into the interior by Chinese subjects.
The engagement into which China entered under the 1885 agreement applies to the goods, not to the merchants who carry the goods, and His Majesty's Minister must protest energetically againt this encouragement which the Wai-chiao Pu are giving the Tutu of Chekiang in his high-handed action.
The observance of the 1885 agreement during a long period of years was one of the acts which reflected credit upon the late Manchu Government, and which encouraged His Majesty's Government to enter into the 1902 treaty for the abolition of li-kin and the increase of the tariff duties. The announcement that the Government of the republic formally arrogates to itself the right to treat foreign goods in Chinese hands in the interior as it pleases, irrespective of treaty obligations, will, it is feared, be received with grave disappointment by His Majesty's Government, who are not likely to see in this latest phase of the opium controversy a favourable indication for the settlement
of tariff revision.
In conclusion, Sir John Jordan begs to renew his demand for the payment of the claim which he presented in his memorandum of the 9th May on behalf of the British merchants interested in the nine chests of opium wrongfully seized at Chiang-t'ou in Chekiang.
Peking, May 30, 1912.
Enclosure 4 in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated to the Wai-chiao Pu by Sir J. Jordan.
HIS Majesty's Minister has the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the Wai- chiao Pu's memorandum of the 24th instant, requesting details as to the circumstances of the restrictions imposed on the foreign opium trade at Canton.
The telegraphic report from His Majesty's consul-general at Canton stated that a proposal had been made by the Canton authorities to close all prepared opium shops at the end of the present year, and that the opium dealers had protested against this proposal. As soon as the full report from the consul-general is received, His Majesty's Minister will communicate further with the Wai-chiao Pu. In the meantime, it is his duty to point out that such a proposal is at variance with the agreement of the 8th May, 1911, which was concluded with the express object of gradually diminishing the export of opium from India to China and suppressing the growth of opium in China, inasmuch as the sudden closing of the prepared opium shops would be equivalent in effect to the total prohibition of the import of Indian opium. His Majesty's Minister is obliged to repeat his warning that if the Central Government cannot succeed in imposing their will on the provinces in this matter, and preventing the issue of all kinds of local regulations which contravene the settled policy agreed upon between the two Governments, they run a serious risk of forfeiting the assistance which has hitherto been so freely, and under the Manchu régime so successfully, accorded to them by His Majesty's Government in their endeavours to suppress opium.
As regards the enquiry in the memorandum under acknowledgment as to the names of the places in Szechuan and Shausi where the poppy is being recultivated, His Majesty's Minister begs to inform the Wai-chiao Pu that the evidence on which he based his former statement was derived mainly from the reports of missionaries travelling through, or resident in the provinces mentioned. In Szechuan it is admitted that the military authorities have made efforts to prohibit the cultivation of opium, but the local officials have in many places been unwilling or unable to enforce the proclamations. In the Chengtu press there are several allusions to the sale in open
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