(Translation.)
74
Enclosure 12 in No. 29.
Wai-chiao Pu to Mr. Alston.
Sir,
Peking, May 8, 1917. WITH reference to this year's joint opium inspections, I had the honour on the 26th ultimo to communicate to you a telegram from the Military and Civil Governors of Kiangsi reporting that the inspection of that province had been com- pleted and that the cultivation of opium had been completely eradicated.
I have now received a telegram from the Military and Civil Governors of Kuangtung as follows:-
"We deputed the Chao Hsun Taoyin, Huang Hsiao Chueh and others to accompany the British delegate on a joint inspection to all the well-known opium districts of the province. The inspection has been completed without any poppy having been found, and the British delegate has signed a statement to the effect that poppy cultivation in Kuangtung has been completely eradicated and has sent a report to the British Minister at Peking."
The following telegram has also been received from the Military Governor of Kueichow:-
The British consul, Mr. Tours, arrived in the province on the 4th April and travelled personally by the North read through the districts of Tung-tze, Tsun-yi, Chien-bsi, Chih-chin, and Pu-ting round to An Hsun, Chen-ning, Kuan-ling, Naa-lung, and Hsing-yi, and at the same time he requested the missionary societies in Kueichow to make secret enquiries in all directions. They found that opium cultivation had been completely eradicated.
"The British consul left the province on the 1st instant and took the main West road to Yunnan. Shen Yi, the delegate sent by the province, has tele- graphed stating that Mr. Tours completed his inspection without incident and announced that he was satisfied that opium had been entirely suppressed in Kueichow and that he had already sent a very favourable report by telegraph to the British Minister in Peking,"
I have the honour to communicate for your information the above reports of the joint inspections in Kuangtung and Kueichow, and avail, &c.
WU TING FANG.
75
No. 30.
Mr. Alston to Mr. Balfour.-(Received October 19.)
Sir,
Peking, August 20, 1917. I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a report by Mr. Eric Teichman on the joint opium inspection of Shensi province.
Mr. Teichman's tour involved travelling over some very difficult country, and his report furnishes an extremely interesting account of the conditions prevailing in that part of China.
As a result of this inspection, Shensi has been declared free from poppy cultiva- tion, and I have the honour to enclose translation of a letter from the Wai-chiao Pu notifying me of this fact.
I have, &c.
B. ALSTON.
Enclosure 1 in No. 30.
Report by Mr. Teichman on Joint Opium Inspection in Province of Shensi.
Result of Inspection..
Previous History of Suppression Present Suppressive Measures Nature of Tour
Trade and Consumption Constitution of Party Assistance of Officials Outlook for Future Description of tour-
Tungkuan to Hsingan Ilsiugan to Hanchung Handlung to Fopting Foping to Fenghsiang Fenghaisng to Yauchou Yaochou to Yenan Yeuan to lanch'eng llanch'eng to Stan Sian to Pauchi Paochi to Liupa.... Liupa to Kuangyuan
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(Translation.) Sir,
Enclosure 13 in No. 29.
Wai-chiao Pu to Mr. Alston.
Peking, June 7, 1917. WITH reference to the joint opium inspections that are taking place this year, I have already had the honour to communicate to you reports that I have received from Kiangsi, Kuangtung, and Kueichow to the effect that the inspections were completed and that the provinces in question had been found cleared of opium.
"On the 3rd instant I received a telegram from the Governor of Kiangsu stating that the British official, Mr. Toller, set out on the 26th April, in company with the delegates sent by the Ministries and the province, on their tour of investigation. This has now been completed, with the result that no poppy has been found anywhere in the province. The British official returned to Ningpo from Shanghai on the 28th May.
I have the honour to inform you of the above, and I avail, &c.
WỤ TING FANG.
I HAVE the honour to report that the joint opium inspection of Shensi, carried out by me in concert with deputies of the Central and Provincial Governments, was finished on the 27th instant, and that we have found the cultivation of the poppy to have been successfully suppressed throughout the province. The tour was conducted under difficulties, owing to the prevalence of brigandage and political unrest. including a declaration of independence by the Governor during the inspection, But throughout a journey lasting three and a half months, in the course of which we visited most of the districts in the province, we saw no signs of the opium poppy being grown, save for an occasional head appearing, very rarely, as a weed amongst the other crops.
In former years Shensi ranked as one of the chief opium-producing provinces. and owing to the suitability of its soil and climate for the production of a superior type of opium, the somewhat turbulent and independent nature of its population, the remoteness and inaccessibility of its situation, and the huge profits accruing nowadays to the trade in the native drug, the authorities have been slow in falling into line with those of other provinces in the suppression of the poppy. As recently as the season of 1913 a large amount of opium was produced in Shensi, while the neighbouring provinces of Szechuan, Hapei, Honan, and Shansi have been practi-
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