CO129-417 - Public Offices - 1914 — Page 31

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[24493]

C.O.

29

24265

[June 2.]

RECO REG 6 JUL 141

SECTION 1.

No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received June 2.)

(No. 196.) Sir,

WITH reference to my despatch No. 20 of the 17th January last, I have the

Peking, May 15, 1914. honour to report that the investigation of the province of Hupei for opium poppy cultivation, in accordance with the provisions of the Opium Agreement of May 1911, has been completed, and that the investigation has failed to discover any trace of poppy cultivation.

I have the honour to enclose herewith copy of a report by Mr. Acting Consul Handley-Derry on the trip of investigation.

The inspection having thus proved satisfactory, I am notifying the Chinese Government in a letter, copy of which is enclosed herewith, that the importation of Indian opium into the province of Hupei will be prohibited as from the 1st June, 1914.

I have, &c.

J. N. JORDAN,

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

Acting Consul Handley-Derry to Sir J. Jordan.

(No. 7.) Sir,

IN accordance with instructions contained in your despatch No. 2 of the 19th March

Ichang, May 4, 1914. last, I have the honour to inform you that I proceeded on a journey of investigation into the cultivation of the opium poppy in the province of Hupeh, and to enclose herewith a report upon the journey I made in conformity with those instructions.

I have, &c.

H. F. HANDLEY-DERRY.

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

Report on the Investigation of the Cultivation of Poppy in Hupeh.

IN investigating the cultivation of poppy in Hupeh, I was only able, in the time allotted (three weeks), to visit one part of Hupeh.

It has been recognised that the cultivation of poppy in the low lands of the east and centre of Hupeh had been practically stopped for the last two years. I accord- ingly decided not to visit that larger part of Hupeh at all, but to confine my attention to the hilly region which extends from Ichang, north and south, to the borders of the province. In these districts it would only be with difficulty that the officials could make their investigations, and from reports which had reached me these tracts had been done far from thoroughly.

My choice lay, therefore, between the country to the south of the Yang-tsze. including Changyang, Changlo, Hofeng, and Shihnan, and the country to the north of the Yang-taze, including the regions between Hsingshan and Yünyang, on the Han

River.

It was impossible to do both in the time, and so, after careful enquiry, I decided that I should try the southern part.

It was very difficult to obtain information as to the country, the roads, and the possible places to stay. I made searching enquiries at all the chair hongs to try and find men who might have travelled on any of the routes which I wanted to follow, but with no resulte The chair coulies had all kept to the beaten tracks and knew nothing

of the side roads.

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