[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
578
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[29738]
No. J.
[July 18.] ? AUG 12
SECTION 1.
Sir,
Foreign Office to Chartered Bank of India, Australia, und China.
your
letter
Foreign Office, July 18, 1912. I AM directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to acknowledge the receipt of of the 12th instant, regarding the illegal restrictions that have been placed on the Indian opium trade by the Chinese provincial authorities, while the cultivation of the native drug in the provinces has been permitted to proceed unabated.
In reply I am to inform you that the whole question has for months past engaged the earnest attention of His Majesty's Government, who have been doing all in their power to impress on the Chinese Government the necessity of taking steps to enforce the observance of their treaty obligations by their subordinate officials.
Representations have been inade by His Majesty's Minister at Peking to the Chinese Government, and also by Sir E. Grey to the Chinese Minister in London, and a special protest has been made against the action of the Chekiang authorities in restricting the Indian trade while allowing the cultivation of the native drug,
His Majesty's Government will not relax their efforts to induce the Chinese Government to carry out their obligations, and they will do everything that is possible to protect the British interests involved.
[2549 8-1]
I am, &c.
W. LANGLEY.
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