CO129-417 - Public Offices - 1914 — Page 21

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[22397]

19

C. O.

[May 19.]

24265

SECTION 1,

REC

No. REG 6 JUL 14,

Sir,

India Office to Foreign Office.-(Received May 19.)

India Office, May 18, 1914. IN continuation of letter R. and S. 2825/1913, I am directed by the Secretary of State for India in Council to forward, for the information of Secretary Sir Edward Grey, copy

of a despatch from the Government of India on the subject of the alleged smuggling of opium from Burma into Yunnan, and the cultivation of poppy on the Burma-Yünuan frontier.

It will be seen that the Government of India do not admit the correctness of the statements made in the note of the Wai-chiao Pu dated the 14th January, 1913, but that they have authorised the Government of Burma to take further steps to regulate the cultivation of poppy and to prevent the possible smuggling of opium "into Chinese territory.

I am to suggest that it seems undesirable to reopen the question with the Chinese Government unless Sir John Jordan thinks it necessary to do so,

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

I have, &c.

CHARLES ROBERTS.

Government of India to the Marquess of Crewe,

My Lord Marquess,

Delhi, March 27, 1914. WE have the honour to invite a reference to your Lordship's despatch dated the 7th March, 1913, regarding the alleged smuggling of opiurn into Yunnan from Burma, and the cultivation of poppy on the Burma-Yunnan frontier.

2. We regret the delay which has occurred in replying to your Lordship's request for a statement of our views on the allegations made by the Wai chiao Pu. The tract of country in question is remote and difficult of access, a large portion of it is not under direct British administration, and another portion is under no administration at all. It was therefore impossible for the Government of Burma to obtain without delay sufficiently reliable information for the report which we asked for on receipt of your despatch. We asked them, however, to submit a preliminary report, based on such information as was then available, and this was received with their letter of the 20th August, 1913, which promised a full report after the necessary information had been collected and the enquiries of the local officers completed. We have now received and considered their final report, contained in their letter of the 27th December, 1913, and we enclose copies of both reports for your Lordship's information.

3. It is alleged by the Wai-chiao Pu (1) that the Government of Burma exercise no control over poppy cultivation in that province, and (2) that they take no steps to prevent the smuggling of opium into China. The Lieutenant-Governor has dealt fully with both these complaints, and we need only observe that we entirely agree with his conclusions. The facts reported show that Sir John Jordan's scepticism as to the restrictive measures said to have been carried out by the Chinese authorities in Yunnan was fully justified, and that his surmise as to the existence of trans-frontier cultivation carried on by Chinese subjects in British territory was correct.

4. We believe that your Lordship will recognise the great administrative and political difficulties, mentioned in the Burma Government's letters, which stand in the way of enforcing in the Burma-Yunnan frontier tracts that rigid control over the cultivation, sale, and possession of opium which is exercised throughout the regularly administered districts of British India and Burma. We agree, however, with the Lieutenant-Governor that the problem must be dealt with, and we have approved his proposals to suppress completely within a limited time the cultivation of poppy in the Myitkyina and Bhamo districts, and to check the extension of poppy cultivation and

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