1
The fact, therefore, that the period of this agreement does not expire till the 31st December, 1917, is beyond any possibility of dispute, and consequently the closing of the ports of Shanghai and Canton to the import of Indian opium while several provinces still remain to be closed under article 3 is, as stated in my note of the 4th ultimo, a manifest violation of the agreement.
As regards the question of the stocks of Indian opium still remaining in bond at the treaty ports, I must point out that the statements now made by your Excellency's Ministry cannot be reconciled with the action taken in recent years by other Depart- ments of the Chinese Government, and I shall have the honour to address your Excellency again on this subject at a later date.
In the meantime, it is essential that I should be in a position to inform His Majesty's Government whether or not the Chinese Government seriously maintain that the Opium Agreement of 1911 has already ceased to be valid, and I accordingly have the honour to ask that your Excellency will be good enough to furnish me with an early reply on this point, which I can communicate to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State by telegraph.
I avail, &c.
B. ALSTON,
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[181612]
Sir,
No. 1.
Foreign Office to India Office.
İlted
REG? 16 OCT 171
314
[September 27.]
SzOTION 1.
Foreign Office, September 27, 1917. WITH reference to Foreign Office letter of the 16th July on the subject of the Shanghai Opium Combine's Agreement and your reply of the 3rd August, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Balfour to enclose herewith copy of a further despatch from His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Peking in regard to the arbitrary attempt made by the Chinese Government to close the ports of Shanghai and Canton to opium, contrary to the provisions of the Upium Agreement of 1911*
Subject to the concurrence of the Secretary of State for India, Mr. Secretary Balfour proposes to approve the terms of Mr. Alston's note of the 26th June to the Chinese Government protesting against their interpretation of the Agreement of 1911, and calling upon them for a definite statement of their position.
I am directed to add that until a satisfactory explanation is forthcoming it would appear advisable to withhold the agreement of His Majesty's Government to the closing of the provinces which have just been inspected.
1 am,
&c.
W. LANGLEY.
0
[2729 dd-1]
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