?
Sir,
90
Enclosure 3 in No. 37.
Sir J. Jordan to Wai-chiao Pu.
May 29, 1919. IT has recently been my duty on more than one occasion to address communica- tions to your Excellency on the subject of the recrudescence in various provinces of cultivation of the opium poppy, in violation of the agreements reached between Great Britain and China. Of these communications the last was my letter of the 6th May,* which dealt with the provinces of Kirin and Heilungkiang.
I am now in receipt of information on this subject from two of His Majesty's consular officers who have recently traversed a small portion of the province of Szechuan.
Mr. Eastes, who has reached Chengtu from T'engyueh, travelling overland, states that sixteen stages of that part of the journey, which lay through the province of Szechuan, were through country in which opium fields were common, while ten consecutive stages lay through country of which from 30 to 50 per cent. of the fields, according to the character of the soil, were under opium. These stages lay north and south of the city of Chien-ch'ang, the seat of a Taoyin. Furthermore, opium- growing exists in the hills immediately bordering on the Chengtu plain.
From Mr. Teichman, who has recently traversed the road from Chengtu to Tachientu, I learn that throughout the entire length of the T'ung river valley, through which the road runs for two day's march within the district of Luting, countless fields of opium poppy are to be seen, in many places as much as 25 per cent. of the cultivated land being under that crop. A special tax is there levied of 28 rupees (the coinage locally current) on every mou of opium-producing land.
I am aware that a portion of the areas above indicated is no longer within the jurisdiction of the Central Government, but I regret to note that hitherto the steps which are essential to the suppression of opium production in parts of China still under the control of your Excellency's Government, and which were mentioned in my note of the 29th April, have not been taken.
My Lord.
No. 38.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN.
Sir J. Jordan to Earl Curzon.—(Received October 11.)
Peking, August 27, 1919. I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith copy of a note which I have addressed to the Wai-chiao Pu entering a further protest against the general recrudescence of opium cultivation which has taken place of recent years in China, and more especially this
year, in Shensi and Szechuan, in violation of the agreement of 1911.
I am instructing His Majesty's consuls to report fully on this subject during the coming winter and spring, so that a comprehensive survey of the amount of cultivation during the next opium season may be available.
I am personally of the opinion that if and when a strong Central Government is again established in this country the opium poppy will be once more eradicated. The present recrudescence of cultivation, though undoubtedly on a comparatively large scale, is, generally speaking, confined to remote provinces, which, whether under the nominal control of the Northern Government or not, pay little attention to the remonstrances of the Wai-chiao Pu on the subject.
I have, &c.
Sir,
Enclosure in No. 38.
Sir J. Jordan to Wai-chiao Pu
J. N. JORDAN.
August 27, 1919. I HAVE the honour to refer your Excellency to my numerous previous communi- cations protesting against the recrudescence of poppy cultivation in China in
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91
violation of the agreement of 1911. Thus, in my memorandum of the 29th March I drew the attention of your Excellency's Ministry to the case of Shensi, which, jointly inspected and found clean in 1917, resumed cultivation immediately after- wards in 1918, and has this year been producing large quantities of opium under the open encouragement of the provincial authorities. Again, in my note of the 29th April, I made mention of the reliable reports of widespread cultivation and traffic in more than half the provinces of China; and in my letter of the 29th May 1 referred to the case of two British consular officers who had recently travelled for days in Western China through countless fields of opium poppy in full bloom. Finally, in my letter of the 7th July* I informed your Excellency of the cultivation being carried on along the Chinese Eastern Railway in Kirin province.
I have recently received further reports of the cultivation of the poppy in Szechuan and Fukien. In both cases cultivation is openly encouraged by the officials, who make large profit by taxing the opium produced. There would appear to be no difference in this respect between the officials of the Northern and Southern Govern- ments, the offending districts being partly under the control of the former and partly under the control of the latter,
I regret to have to point out to your Excellency that the evidence of widespread recrudescence of poppy cultivation above referred to shows conclusively that China is not at present carrying out her obligations under the agreement of 1911, and I have the honour therefore to enter a further formal protest with your Excellency's Government on the subject.
I avail, &c.
No. 39.
J. N. JORDAN.
Sir J. Jordan to Earl Curzon.-(Received November 12.)
My Lord,
Peking. September 20, 1919. WITH reference to my despatch of the 27th August last. I have the honour to transmit to you berewith copies of further correspondence with the Wai-chiao Pu on the subject of the widespread recrudescence of poppy cultivation in this country. I am circulating copies of this correspondence to His Majesty's consular officers, whom I have already instructed to keep me fully informed of the true extent to which opium cultivation is carried on during the approaching winter and spring.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN.
Enclosure 1 in No. 39.
Wai-chiao Pu to Sir J. Jordan.
Sir,
Peking, September 4, 1919. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your Excellency's note of the 29th April last informing me of the reports you have received of the widespread recrudes- cence of the cultivation of the poppy and the traffic in opium in Kiangsi, Fukien, Anhui, Hunan, Szechuan, Yunnan, Kweichow, Manchuria and Ilsinkiang, and more especially in Shensi, in contravention of the procedure agreed to by the Chinese Government and adding that you are instructed by your Government to protest strongly on the subject,
On the 20th May this Ministry had the honour to receive instructions from the President laying the duty of stringently prohibiting opium on the civil and military officials of the provinces. These instructions were copied and issued by telegraph to the provinces concerned for the necessary action by the Cabinet, the Ministry of the Interior and this Ministry. With the exception of Kweichow, from which province, owing to the conditions now reigning there no report has leen received, all the provinces concerned have sent in reports of the action taken in each regarding opium suppression and the present state of affairs in connection therewith. Just as a reply was being prepared, your Excellency's further note of the 27th August was received, informing me of additional reports of opium cultivation in Szechuan and Fukien,
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