CO129-405 - Public Offices - 1913 — Page 19

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Governmen

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[50592]

No. 1.

13

173

IN.CO

RECO 2 JAN 13/

December 4.]

SECTION 1,

Gentlemen,

Foreign Office to Messrs. E. D. Sassoon and Messrs. David Sassoon.

Foreign Office, December 4, 1912. I AM directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th ultimo on the subject of the opium trade China.

In reply I am to inform you that Sir E. Grey has no information as to an issue of a presidential order forbidding further smoking and ordering retail dealers to close their shops forthwith, but that His Majesty'a Minister at Peking has been instructed to ascertain the facts and to furnish a report on the subject.

As regards the statement contained in your letter that the notified rate of sale of uncertificated opium is far in excess of legitimate market requirements, I am to invite you to furnish, in as much detail as possible, the evidence on which you base this

statement.

I am at the same time to point out that the maximum amount of uncertificated opium to be offered for sale in 1913 under the notification of the 11th October, 1912, is the same as the maximum specified for 1912, and that the amount (1,100 chests) notified for sale in each month of 1913 is the same as the amount sold, or notified for sale, in each month of 1912 with the exceptions of January and February in that year.

I am, &c.

W. LANGLEY.

[2736 d-1]