Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
SIT
Note communicated to Wai-chiao Pu by Sir J. Jordan.
SIR JOHN JORDAN has the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the note of the 13th instant accepting the terms of his memorandum of the lat February, and proposing to fix the 1st March as the date on which the prohibition of the import. of Indian opium into the two provinces of Chihli and Kuangsi shall become effective.
Sir John Jordan, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, agrees to the proposal, and has issued the necessary instructions in accordance therewith.
Peking, February 17, 1913.
C.O.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.}.
arch3293
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
{r6:22
12 APR 13
2.
No. 1.
[10435]
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received March 6.)
(No. 83.) Sir,
Peking, February 20, 1913.
WITH reference to my despatches Nos. 365 and 395 of the 9th September and the 2nd October respectively, I have the honour to forward herewith copies and translation of correspondence with the Wai-chiao Pu concerning five cases of detention of Indian opium in the province of Kiangsi.
The five cases are--
1. The Yueh Yu case.
On the 2nd June the anti-opium bureau of the Ting-nan district seized twenty-five packages of Malwa opium bearing customs certificates, imported from Swatow by the Yueh Yu firm. The importer was arrested and 540 dollars taken from him, while the bureau confiscated the opium and imposed a fine of 1,000 dollars. The Wai-chiao Pu, in their reply, have now stated that the orginal twenty-six cases of opium had been restored to the dealer, who had been furnished with a permit for its return to Kuangtung. His Majesty's consul at Kiukiang has no information confirming this statement. Further action in this case will be deferred pending the cousul's report.
2. Jên Chi case.
On the 14th August last one package of Indian opium, the property of the Jên Chi firm, bearing intact a customs' label, was seized at Kiukiang. The opium has now been restored to its owner.
3. Shêng Sheng Ho case.
On the 11th August Yen Hui-tê, of the Sheng Sheng Ho firm in Nanchang, was arrested, and twelve unbroken packages of Indian opium bearing customs' certificates, found in his possession, were confiscated. The information supplied to His Majesty's consul contradicts the statement of the Wai-chiao Pu that this opium had been released.
4. Kiukiang Station Li-kin Office case.
On the 17th August eight unbroken packages of Indian opium, accompanied by custoine' transit certificates, were seized by the Li-kin office at the Kiukiang railway station. The Wai-chiao Pu have stated that the seizure was made in consequence of the inclusion of native opium in the consignment. I have pointed out that this reason has not been advanced before, and that His Majesty's consul has reported that the merchants concerned have always maintained that the eight packages were unbroken packages, bearing intact customs' labels, so that it was impossible that native opium could have been included therein.
5. Ts'ai Cheng case.
Towards the end of September last sixty packages of Malwa opium, belonging to the Ta'ai Cheng firm, were seized in transit at Ch'ang-ning. The Wai-chiao Pu have now stated that instructions were being sent by the tutu to conclude the trial of this case in accordance with the regulations. His Majesty's consul at Kiukiang has reported that the consul at Swatow has communicated the information that the opium in question had been sold, but that the officials refused to hand over the proceede to the Ta'ai Cheng firm. In reply to enquiries made by the former consul, the commissioner of foreign affairs at Nanchang declared that he knew nothing of the circumstances.
I have repeated to the Wai-chiao Pu that the seizures are a flagrant breach of China's treaty obligations to Great Britain, and have reiterated my demand for the
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