40
further communication will be addressed to your Excellency, but in the meantime I have the honour to inform you of the above, and to ask for a reply."
I avail, &c.
Sir,
Enclosure 2 in No. 19.
(Seal of the Wai-chiao Pu.)
Sir J. Jordan to W'ai-chiao Pu.
Peking, April 28, 1915. WITH reference to your Excellency's notes of the 8th and 26th ultimo regard- ing the joint inspection by British and Chinese officials of opium cultivation in the provinces of Kansu and Hsinchiang, I have the honour to inform you that I propose to appoint Mr. Teichman, of this Legation, as the British official to carry out the investigation of the province of Kansu, and to ask that you will be good enough to inform me of the name of the official to be appointed by the Chinese Government for this purpose, in order that the two officials may meet and decide on the date for the commencement of the joint inspection.
With regard to the province of Hsinchiang. I am prepared to agree that it should be added to the list of provinces into which the import of Indian opium is prohibited under article 3 of the agreement of 1911, such prohibition to take effect from the 1st June next.
I avail, &c.
Sir.
No. 20.
J. N. JORDAN.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey-(Received June 15.)
"
Peking, May 17, 1915. I HAVE the honour to enclose herewith copy of an extract from a Presidential mandate published in the Government "Gazette of the 13th May last, exhorting the people against the cultivation and smoking of opium, and repeating the prohibi- tion against traffic in the drug.
In reference to the strictures against Shensi in the mandate, my latest informa- tion from that province, dated the 18th April, is to the effect that the Military Governor has given secret permission to grow the poppy again this year. Sowing takes place in April, and thousands of mou (one acre equals six mon) have already been planted.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN.
41
and the import of opium into these provinces has been prohibited by mutual consent. The International Anti-Opium Society also decided that within a certain time limit investigations should be made into the opium trade contemporaneously with the progress of the measures adopted by the Chinese Government. If this opportunity had been seized to make a clean sweep of opium the country's weakness would soon have been turned into strength. The prohibition was repeated at the beginning of the Republican régime. But owing to the lack of order and discipline and the fact that there were many desperadoes and unruly soldiers who were mostly opium smokers, the evil sprang again into being. The ignoraut people, seeing that there was great profit in the opium trade, defied the law hitherto in force. This was most regrettable. Some people urge that since the opium trade affects the livelihood of many persons it is unjust to use arbitrary methods for the prohibition of poppy planting. They forget, however, that the evil of opium smoking is like a dangerous ulcer that sinks deep into the bone, for a cure of which it is better to cut away part of the bone than to patch it up with a piece of flesh taken from another part of the body. Whether the profit in this trade is large or small, the traders should be made to understand in unmistakable language that no one can live by drinking poison to quench bis thirst. The local headmen should be entrusted with the task of uprooting the poppy, and the farmers supplied with cotton, grain, and other seeds for sowing instead, so that gradually what is now a rule may become an exception. The plea of present livelihood is no justification for planting the seed of endless calamity in the future. We have heard lately that in certain parts of Shensi poppy plants are still being raised, and we have made enquiries of the high provincial authorities. Lu 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.)
Extract from Government (Translation.)
Enclosure in No. 20.
Gazette "
of May 13, 1915, Presidential Mandate.
THE evil of opium is known to all men, and no less than 8,000 millions of money and 10,000,000 lives have been sacrificed during the past few decades as a result of this evil. Once a person acquires the habit of opium smoking be degenerates into a parasite and is reduced to a skeleton. Thus a rich man becomes a pauper and a healthy man a weakling. This gives rise to the prevalence of undesirable characters and persons who do not care to work, the race deteriorates. morality declines, and both the family and the nation are affected and harmed. Fortunately, however, as a result of the unprejudiced spirit of the friendly nations and the well-intentioned publicity given to the matter by Chinese and foreigners an agreement was made in the third year of Hsuan Tung with Great Britain for the prohibition of the import of foreign and the cultivation of native opium within a certain time limit. A persistent policy has been pursued with regard to the prohibi- tion of cultivation, smoking, and trading in opium, and as a result of it Fengtien and many
other provinces have succeeded in completely destroying all poppy plants,
Sir,
No. 21.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey-(Received October 30.)
Peking, October 6, 1915. WITH reference to my despatch of the 3rd May last, I bave the honour to forward herewith copy of a report by Mr. Eric Teichman on a tour of investigation made by him in the province of Kansu in conjunction with a representative of the Chinese Government.
The result of Mr. Teichman's inspection having shown that the cultivation of the poppy in Kansu has been successfully repressed, I have informed the Chinese Government in a note of which copy is enclosed herewith, that the importation of Indian opium into that province will be prohibited from the 1st November.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN.
510
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