CO129-471 - Public Offices - 1921 — Page 501

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I have the honour to request that your Excellency will give your consent to this proposal, and I trust to receive your reply.

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Enclosure 2 in No. 11.

Sir,

I avail, &c.

(Seal of the Wai-chino Pu.)

Sir,

Enclosure 2 in No. 10.

Sir J. Jordan to the Wai-chiao Pu.

Peking, December 6, 1913. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge your note of the 3rd instant communicating a telegram from the Tutu and Chief Civil Administrator of Honan, and requesting that the province should be placed on the list of those into which the import of Indian opium is forbidden, in accordance with article 3 of the Opium Agreement

of 1911.

From information received at this Legation it would appear that native opium is still being imported into Honan, and, in view of this, I regret that I am unable to agree to your Excellency's request, but I am ready, in accordance with article 4 of the 1911 agreement, to arrange for a joint inspection of the conditions of opium cultivation and importation in that province at the proper season next year on the lines of that already carried out in Shantung, Anhui and Hunan this year.

Sir,

No. 11.

I avail, &c.

J. N. JORDAN.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received February 2.)

Peking, January 17, 1914.

I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith copies of correspondence with the Wai-chiao Pu on the question of the proposed joint inspection of the provinces of Chekiang, Fukien, Kiangsi, Hupeh and Honan, under article 4 of the Opium Agreement of 1911, with a view to prohibiting the import of Indian opium into these provinces should they be found to have discontinued the cultivation of the poppy.

The most favourable months for inspecting these five provinces would be: Fukien, February to March; Chekiang, April; Kiangsi, March to April; Honan, April; Hupeh, April.

I bave, &c.

J. N. JORDAN.

Sir J. Jordan to the Wai-chiao Pu.

Peking, January 17, 1914. IN reply to your note of the 15th instant referring to the proposed joint inspection of the conditions of opium cultivation and importation in the five provinces of Chekiang, Fukien, Kiangsi, Hupeh and Honan under article 4 of the 1911 Agreement, I have the honour to request your Excellency to depute an officer to confer with Mr. Wilton, the British Opium Commissioner, on the matter, and settle the dates of the joint inspections and other necessary details.

I avail, &c.

(Telegraphic.)

No. 12.

Sir Edward Grey to Șir J. Jordan.

J. N. JORDAN.

Foreign Office, February 17, 1914. I UNDERSTAND from your despatches that the following eleven provinces are still open: Yunnan, Kueichow, Kansu, Kiangsu, Kuangtung, Shensi, Chekiang, Fukien, Kiangsi, Hupeh, and Honan, of which the last five only are to be inspected this spring.

You say that Indian opium does not reach the first three mentioned above. Can you ascertain how much approximately the average import is into Kiangsu, Kuang- tung, and Shensi?

No. 13.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received February 19.)

(Telegraphic.)

YOUR telegram of 17th February.

Peking, February 19, 1914.

Shensi should be included with remote provinces into which Indian opium does not penetrate.

Approximate average import into Kiangsu during last three months was 600 chests a month.

For Kuangtung monthly average of last three months was 220 chests. January import was below average in both cases on account of Chinese new year.

Enclosure 1 in No. 11.

No. 14.

(Translation.)

Sir,

Wai-chiao Pu to Sir J. Jordan,

January 15, 1914.

With reference to the proposal to prohibit the import of Indian opium into the provinces of Chekiang, Fukien, Kiangsi. Hupeh and Honan, your Excellency has successively expressed your readiness in accordance with article 4 of the Opium Agreement of 1911 to arrange for a joint inspection of the conditions of opium cultivation and importation in those provinces on the lines of that already carried out in Shantung, Anhui and Hunan. In each case your Excellency's attitude was communicated to the province in question.

The commencement of spring is now at hand, and dates for the joint inspection should be fixed beforehand and the officials to be deputed for the work settled, in order that communications may be sent to the provinces concerned directing them to take action according to the scheme drawn up by us. I trust to receive a reply from your Excellency as to the contents of this note.

I avail, &c.

(Seal of the Wai-chiao Pu.)

Sir,

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received April 6.)

Peking, March 23, 1914. THE inspection of provinces under article 4 of the Agreement of 1911 is now proceeding. The province of Fukien, which from its southern latitude produces early crops, has already been inspected. One party, with Mr. Consular Assistant Blackburn, has inspected the northern half of the province from Foochow, while a second party, with Mr. Consular Assistant Turner, has inspected the southern half from Amoy. I have just received telegraphic information from His Majesty's consul at Foochow that both parties have completed their journeys, and have found no cultivation of poppy in the province. The reports on the journeys will follow in due course, but meanwhile it may be taken for granted that Fukien province will be placed upon the list of closed provinces. The importation of foreign opium into Fukien last year was 1,465 chests.

The inspection of the provinces of Chekiang and Hupei is fixed to commence on the 10th April, and telegraphic information as to their condition should reach me early in May.

The province of Honan has never cultivated much opium, and it was on the ground that there was importation of the native drug that I declined to recommend the closing of the province last year. From information recently received, repressive

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