CO129-457 - Public Offices - 1919 — Page 546

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

55664

533

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

C

[8489]

(No. 32.)

(Telegraphic.)

RECEIVED

25 SEP1319

RECO [January 1 SEP 19

SECTION 1,

COL OFFICE

No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Earl Curzon.-(Received January 15.)

YOUR telegram No, 27 of 10th January.

Peking, January 14, 1919.

Chinese Government had, so far as I know, no motive in making suggestion except to place formally on record fact that 1911 Agreement had terminated.

There 18 a

My impression is that present Government would gladly welcome any representations that might be made to them respecting recru.lescence of opium cultivation. very strong movement on foot, both amongst Chinese and foreigners, which is supported by leading British newspapers, and which aims not only at suppression of opium cultivation in China but at prohibition of infamous trade in morphine, which is doing more harm than opium ever did. It is publicly stated that opium, which is used for manufacture of morphine in Japan, and opium, which is imported by Japanese into Tsingtao and Dairen as " military stores," is purchased in Calcutta for medicinal use only. It is also asserted that large quantities of opium grown in border country between China and Burma are imported into Yunnan, and are mainly responsible for recrudescence of opium cultivation in that province. How far these statements are true I bave no means of knowing, but they are widely made and are attracting much attention in China,

(Sent to India.)

[876 p-1]