CO129-470 - Public Offices - 1921 — Page 363

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

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Mr. Clive to Earl Curzon.-(Received January 28, 1921.)

(No. 763.)

Peking, November 27, 1920. My Lord,

WITH reference to your Lordship's despatch No. 425 of the 12th August last, I have the honour to transmit herewith a copy of further correspondence with the Wai-chiao Fu respecting opium cultivation in the province of Fukien.

As your Lordship will observe, the attitude of the Chinese authorities towards the question gives every cause for dissatisfaction. Not only Fukien but very many other provinces of China are drifting rapidly back to the state of things existing before the opium treaties, and the amount of opium now grown-more or less openly-in China is so great as to make the attempt to kill the abuse by preventing importation from abroad little more than a farce. One result of this lamentable condition is that Chinese- grown opium is constantly smuggled from place to place within the country, and it is a cause of bitter complaint by British owners of Yang-taze steamers that their ships are frequently stopped and penalised by the customs authorities because smuggled opium has been found on board, having been stowed away by members of the native crew- helped by accomplices on shore-without the knowledge of the ship's officers or any of the Europeans concerned. The difficulty of detecting the hidden opium during the voyage is, of course, very great when the crew are banded together, and resolute action against smuggling by the ship's officers has. in at least one recent case, resulted in the murder of the zealous officer.

The shipping companies point out that it is intolerable that they and their employees should be made responsible for checking a traffic which exists owing to the inlifference, connivance or even participation of the Chinese authorities, and the idea is freely canvassed, especially by officials of the Chinese Maritime Customs and shipping companies in the Yang-taze, that the only ultimate solution consists in legalising the opium trade in China under a system of Government control. The views of the latter are contained in the enclosed memorandum by the agent of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire.

I discussed the question with the Commissioner of Customs at Shanghai when I was there for the conference of British Chambers of Commerce, and on my return to Peking with the acting Inspector-General. Both were most seriously concerned at the existing state of affairs, and in the present disordered state of China could see no satisfactory Mr. Bowra has sent me solution other than legalisation in some form of opium. privately some notes on the subject which he has prepared, and which I have the honour to enclose.

The question was also discussed at the recent conference of British Chambers of Commerce at Shanghai, when forcible attention was drawn to the position outlined above.

Finally. I have the honour to enclose copy of a despatch from His Majesty's consul at Ichaug, who reluctantly comes to the same conclusion as the Customs authorities and the steamship agents. Mr. Smith draws attention to another side of the question, viz., the growing tendency of Chinese to associate themselves with the less reputable element among the foreign business community in order to obtain the protection of a foreigu flag under which to conduct this nefarious traffic.

While I must not he understood to be endorsing the solution advocated, I think it only right that His Majesty's Government should realise how extremely serious the present position is which, far from showing any signs of improvement, is gradually drifting from bad to worse.

I have, &c.

• Not printed.

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R. H. CLIVE

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