CO129-396 - Public Offices - 1912 — Page 290

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

C.O.

2

In this connection we may point out that the Indian Government is selling far more uncertificated opium than can be legitimately used, and we would urge once again that sales of this description should either be stopped entirely or considerably reduced.

We have, &c.

E. D. SASSOON AND Co.

OPIUM.

37169

[October 18.]

CONFIDENTIAL.

REC?

(

(REG 25 NOV 12

SECTION 2.

DAVID SASSOON and Co. (LIMITED).

[43733]

No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.~(Received October 18.)

(No. 397.) Sir,

Peking, October 3, 1912. I HAVE the honour to report briefly on the activities of the National Council, subsequent to the inauguration of the republic, in regard to the question of opium.

A Bill for the revision of the opium agreement of the 8th May, 1911, was first introduced in the council on the 15th May last. It proposed a drastic curtailment of the period of gradual diminution of import of foreign opium, and complete prohibition of import after the 30th June, 1912, and of sale after the 31st December, 1912. In the discussion which succeeded the reading of this Bill considerable stress was laid on the strength of foreign public opinion against the traffic in opiuni, but less fanatical members were sensible enough to point out serious objections to the Bill, such as the heavy loss of revenue which would be involved, and the far more cogent obstacle that the question was not one which could properly be dealt with by the council at all, but required diplomatic treatment between the Chinese Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Great Britain. A vote was taken, as the result of which the Bill was referred to committee.

The report of this committee, presented to the council on the 27th August, pointed out the underlying principle of the opium agreement that, if China could succeed in the effectual suppression of poppy cultivation throughout the country, the cessation of the import of Indian opium would follow automatically. If China could show that she had completely carried out her side of the compact, there was no reason to doubt that Great Britain would equally fulfil her obligations under the agreement. There was, therefore, no occasion to demand revision of the agreement.

The Bill was rejected accordingly.

A separate Bill was introduced in the National Council on the 27th May. Its object was to enforce China's domestic laws for the suppression of the cultivation and consumption of opium in China. This is the Bill referred to in my telegram No. 203 of the 28th ultimo. The necessity for increased stringency in the carrying out of China's opium suppression laws was demonstrated, since Great Britain had already consented, in the agreement of last year, that Indian opium should be excluded from any province of China which could prove that it had successfully suppressed the cultivation and import of the native drug, while if complete cessation of the production of native opium throughout the country were effected prior to 1917, Great Britain would terminate absolutely the export of Indian opium to China. The Bill proposed, there- fore, that the suppression of poppy cultivation and opium consumption should be absolutely and effectually completed by the end of the present year. Discussion of this Bill was postponed until the 18th July, when it was referred to committee. The committee report, which was submitted to the council on the 27th August, referred to our complaints of the violation of the opium agreement in Chekiang, Kuangtung, and other provinces, and recommended that the Chinese Government should issue strict orders for the immediate cessation of poppy cultivation and the destruction of all plants still existing, and for the total suppression of opium smoking after the

showing weakness in merely 30th June, 1913. The report was criticised as mending" the Government to take certain measures with regard to opium suppression instead of suggesting specific enactments for the consideration of the council, and it was decided to adopt the original form of the Bill, which thus passed its first stage.

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At the second reading, however, which took place on the 2nd September, the committee report was again considered. Arguments were advanced for and against the retention of the 31st December of this year as the date by which cultivation and consumption of opium should be completely and effectively suppressed, the more practical speakers expressing openly their scepticism as to the probability of complete eradication of planting and smoking in so short a time. It was agreed that the date for total suppression should be postponed until the 31st December of next year ;

but

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