CO129-396 - Public Offices - 1912 — Page 300

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[October 14.]

SECTION 1.

[43870]

No. 1.

Question asked in the House of Commons, October 14, 1912.

Sir J. D. Rees-To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any official information as to the increasing inability of the authorities in Peking in relation to those of the provinces; (2) whether he is aware that, notwithstanding treaty obligations, the poppy is cultivated in Kweichan, Shansi, Szechuan, Chekiang, Kiangsu, Fukien, and Yunnan; 3) whether it now appears to the Government likely that the Chinese Government will be able to enforce the discontinuance of the poppy cultivation; (4) whether the revenues of the Chinese Government have been largely reduced by the fall in opium importation; (5) and whether the Government proposes, while reducing the income of the Chinese Government, to facilitate the loan of money to that administration to repair the breach partly created by its own policy.

Answer by Mr. Wedgwood Benn.

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has asked me to answer the question. Information received from His Majesty's diplomatic and consular representatives in China gives evidence of the inability of the Central Government at Peking to impose its will on the authorities of the provinces The same information also shows that, since the outbreak of the revolution, China has signally failed to carry out the stipulation in article 1 of the Anglo-Chinese agreement of the 8th May, 1911, providing for the progressive diminution of opium production throughout the country. I cannot say that there are any indications at present to warrant the hope that the Central Government will be able in the near future to enforce the discontinuance of poppy cultivation, but I trust that the gradual restoration of normal conditions, which I believe to be in progress, may ultimately lead to this result. I have no information to bear out the suggestion made in the fourth part of the question. The loss of revenue which might have resulted from the decrease in the quantity of opium imported has been offset to a large extent, if not altogether, by the increase in the import duty imposed on foreign opium under article 6 of the agreement above referred to.

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