2
La Chien-chang and Lu Tiao-yuan report by telegraph that the majority of the districts under their jurisdiction have been cleared of poppy plants; that it is possible that in out-of-the-way places the foolish and ignorant country people may have planted opium, but that the magistrates have been ordered to take careful and energetic measures for prohibition, and investigators have been sent to search for secret plantations. The said province suffers from a lack of good communications, and the people may not realise the seriousness of the prohibition and care only for the profit that they may make. The whole thing depends upon the officials, who should earnestly and persistently urge them and compel them to plant some other useful crop. One corner of the country cannot be permitted to spoil the general movement of the whole nation. The Ministry of Interior is hereby instructed to transmit orders to the Governor of the said province to again issue a prohibition, and not to allow the cunning to utilise it as a means to enrich themselves. Yamên runners must be strictly controlled, so that they may not use this as a pretext to oppress the people by extortion, or the old evil will be done away with only to be replaced by a new one. In a word, it is my hope that the people and the officials of the whole nation should regard opium as a great disgrace and shame. Let no undestroyed seeds poison the new nation. Awake all ye people and be not careless. This is my order.
(Seal of the President.)
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[77952]
224
[June 15.]
SECTION 2.
No. 1.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received June 15.)
(No. 114.) bir,
Peking, May 15, 1915. WITH reference to my telegram No. 105 of the 2nd May I have the honour to forward herewith copies of notes from the Wai-chiao Pu on the subject of the inspection of Kiangsu, together with the copy of a letter from the Wai-chiao Pu, requesting that the joint inspection of poppy cultivation in that province might be stopped this year.
In my telegram No. 73 of the 30th March I reported that the Chinese Govern- ment had requested me to depute representatives for the joint inspection of Kiangsu, and that I was deputing Messrs. Wilton and Rose for this duty, and in my despatch No. 72 of the 31st March I outlined the latest information "then available of the conditions of poppy cultivation in the province.
Mr. Wilton has reported to me that he and Mr. Rose arrived at Chinking on the 25th April, and that the Chinese metropolitan and provincial delegates followed in due course.
Mr. Wilton, who had devoted special care and attention to the collection of trustworthy information as to cultivation, was of opinion that, speaking generally, the portion of the province south of the Yang-tsze River was clear of poppy, but that cultivation still existed in the northern districts of Hsuchow and Hai-chow, although strenuous efforts were being made to clear these areas before the arrival of the inspectors. Mr. Wilton and Mr. Rose decided, therefore, to confine their respective tours to the north of the river, paying special attention to the districts mentioned, and arrangements were made for the two parties accompanied by their respective Chinese delegates, to start on the 28th April. On that day, however, they received my telegram instructing them to postpone their departure temporarily, similar orders being issued also to the native delegates by the Chinese authorities.
The telegram was sent at the urgent request of the Wai-chiao Pu, who intimated that reports had been received to the effect that poppy was still to be found in the districts of Hsuchow and Haichow, and that investigation would possibly have to be abandoned. On the 30th April a Presidential mandate was issued declaring that the Minister of the Interior and the Director of the Revenue Council had reported that there was a great quantity of smuggled native opium imported into Kiangsu, Kiangsi and Kuangtung, and appointing Ts'ai Nai Huang special opium prohibition deputy for the three provinces. The following day I received a letter from the Wai-chiao Pu requesting that, as the poppy had not been completely eradicated from the districts of Hsuchow and Haichow in Kiangau the joint inspection of the province should be stopped. I agreed to this course, which was reported in my telegrain No. 105.
Mr. Wilton, who received my telegram of recall on the 2nd May, reports that the Chinese delegates, one and all, were amazed at the turn events had taken, and the Hsu-Hai Taoyin in particular appeared completely upset and perturbed. The latter had been positive that the poppy fields in his jurisdiction had been cleared, appre- hending only that there might be danger to the inspection parties from brigands in the remoter parts of the Heuchow district. Mr. Wilton proceeded to Nanking the same day, but nothing appeared to be known there of the reasons for the abandonment of the inspection beyond the fact that action was said to have been taken at the instigation of the Revenue Council at Peking. The next day he proceeded to Shanghai and obtained from the representatives of the Opium Combine an admission that a private agreement had been made between the Combine and Ts'ai Nai Huang, a former Taotai of Shanghai, under which the Chinese Government would receive a contribution of 3,500 dollars a chest on the stocks in hand at Shanghai and Hong Kong on the 1st May, in return for freedom of circulation in Kiangsu, Kiangsi, and Kuangtung. A copy of the English text of the agreement was received by Mr. Wilton on the 11th May, with the request that it should be treated as confidential; but I see no special reason for regarding it as such and a copy is enclosed herewith. From the explanation given to him at Shanghai on the 4th May by the representatives of the Opium Combine, it would appear that the negotiations leading up to the signature of
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