CO129-405 - Public Offices - 1913 — Page 534

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

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the information at your disposal would indicate the possibility that the poppy being cultivated.

The season during which the plant is in flower and easily distinguishable is of short duration, and it will be necessary that you and Mr. King travel separately in the western and eastern halves of the province respectively.

In collecting the necessary evidence for your report you should in every way endeavour as far as possible to co-operate with the Chinese deputies accompanying you.

I am, &c.

Enclosure 3 in No. 1.

J. N. JORDAN.

Memorandum communicated to Sir J. Jordan by Wai-chiao Pu.

(Translation.)

THE Wai-chiao Pu has the honour to acknowledge receipt of Sir John Jordan's memorandum of the 17th instant with reference to the joint investigation of the cultivation of opium in Hunan, stating that he had appointed Mr. Archibald Rose, C.IE, assistant Chinese secretary, and Mr. Louis King, consular assistant, to proceed to Changsha and carry out the joint investigation in company with the Chinese deputies, forwarding for the information of the Ministry a copy of the instructions issued, and requesting the Wai-chiao Pu to favour him with a copy of the instructions issued to Messrs. Wang and Teng. Copies of the instructions issued to Messrs. Rose and King were received enclosed in the memorandum.

The Ministry applied to the Ministry of the Interior, and has now received a copy of the instructions issued to Mr. Teng Yu, a senior clerk. The Wai-chiao Pu has the honour to forward this document, together with its own instructions to Mr. Wang Chih-hui, also a senior clerk, for the information of His Majesty's Minister.

Peking, March 25, 1913.

Enclosure 4 in No. 1.

Instructions issued by the Minister of the Interior to Teng Yu, a Senior Clerk of that Ministry, on his appointment as Deputy. (Translation.)

A LETTER has been received from the Wai-chiao Pu as follows:--

"The provinces of Chihli, Shantung, Anhui, Hunan, and Kuangai have suc cessively reported the prohibition of opium cultivation, stating that it has been completely done away with, and that import from other provinces has been prohibited. They also requested that, in accordance with treaty, the import of Indian opium might be prohibited.

This Ministry has frequently discussed the matter with His Britannic Majesty's Minister at Peking, and has now received his consent to the closing of Chihli and Kuangsi to the import of Indian opium. He requires, however, that conditions in the three provinces of Anhui, Shantung, and Hunan shall be investigated as laid down in the agreement, My Ministry has arranged with His Majesty's Minister a method for the appointment of deputies and joint investigation. Further, inasmuch as the poppy first ripens in Hunan, then in Anhui, and then only in Shantung, we have arranged to first depute officials to investigate conditions in Hunan my Ministry and the Ministry of the Interior each to appoint one official, the British Legation to appoint two officials, and the province of Ilunan two officials. These are to be appointed at the latest by the 10th March, so that by the beginning of April they may begin their journey of investigation, place by place. My Ministry has already appointed Wang Chib-hui, one of its senior clerks, and I shall be glad if you will also depute an official to proceed to Hunan with him, at the same time informing me of his name."

The above-named official is therefore appointed deputy, and ordered to proceed to that province with the others.

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Enclosure 5 in No. 1.

Instructions issued to Wang Chih-hui, a Senior Clerk, by the Wai-chiao Pu on his appointment to proceed to Hunan for the joint investigation of Opium Cultivation.

(Translation.)

THE prohibition of opium throughout China is an important policy of the moment. The Hunan tutu has reported that poppy cultivation has been prohibited throughout the province, and that it has entirely ceased; further, that the appointment of officials for joint investigation is urgent, in order to prove the reliability of his statements.

Wang Chih-hui, senior clerk, is therefore now appointed to proceed to Hunan, and travel from place to place in the company of the officials appointed by His Britannic Majesty's Minister at Peking, by the Minister of the Interior, and by Hunan province, observing the conditions, and making a thorough investigation. He shall keep a record of the conditions disclosed, to be compared in a friendly manner, as occasion presents itself, with the records drawn up by the other Chinese and the foreign deputies; this record to be presented to the Ministry for its determination on his return to Peking after completion of the investigation. No delay or carelessness must occur.

Enclosure 6 in No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Mr. Rose.

Sir,

Peking, March 22, 1913. REFERRING to my instructions to you of the 17th instant, copy of which has been forwarded to the Wai-chiao Pu, I have to instruct you to leave Peking on the 24th March for Hankow. H.M.S. "Thistle" will convey you to Changsha via Yochow. Orders have been sent to Mr. King to join the "Thistle at Yochow Mr. King will act as your assistant during the period of opium investigation in Hunan.

The two Chinese delegates, Messrs. Wang Chi-hui and Teng Yu, have, I am informed, already departed for Changsha the former on the 19th and the latter on the 20th instant. They expect to arrive at Changsha about the 27th instant. Two provincial delegates will, I understand, be added at Changsha.

Mr. Giles has been requested to arrange an interview for you with Mr. Warren, of the Wesleyan Mission at Changsa, so that you may have an opportunity of gathering additional data as to the localities where opium cultivation may be indicated. Mr. Giles has also been asked to arrange for passports and chair coolies, and to introduce you and Mr. King to the Governor.

You should leave Changsha on or about the 1st April. The investigation should be conducted in two parties-one touring the western and the other the eastern side of the province. You will take charge of the former and Mr. King the latter party To each party should be attached two Chinese deputies, one Peking and one provincial.

The general scheme of the tour is for both parties to proceed southwards from Changsha, in order to take advantage of the earlier poppy season, and gradually work northwards-westerly and easterly respectively. The point where investigation will actually begin is Ch'i Yang (26° 28′ north, 111° 48' east). Here you and Mr. King will separate. You will proceed into the southern districts of the prefecture of Pao ch'ing to Cheng-pu, and trend southwards to the Kuangsi border. Thence northerly to Ch'ing-chou, and, keeping in proximity to the Kueichow border, you should visit the districts of Huang-chou, Feng-huang, Hsu-pu, Ch'ien-chou, Lu-ch'i, Yung-sui, Yung-shun, and Sang-chih. The district of Hsu-pu was the scene of determined and successful opposition to eradication of opium last season. There is no information at present to show that the poppy has been cultivated there this season, but, should time permit, a visit might prove successful.

At Heng-chou, Pao-ching, and Shen-chou are mission stations, to which you should get introductions at Changsha. It might be as well, when conversing with the missionaries, to explain that neither you nor Mr. King have been sent into Hunan to promote trade in Indian opium, but solely to collect evidence, on which it may be decided whether Hunan is or is not entitled to be placed on the list of provinces into which Indian opium shall not be conveyed.

On separating from you at Ch'i-yang, Mr. King will go southwards into the two districts of Kuei-yang, and keep along the Kiangsi border to Ling-beien. He should

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