CO129-471 - Public Offices - 1921 — Page 542

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Enclosure 1 in No. 44.

Consul Combe to Mr. Alston.

Sir,

Foochow, April 20, 1920. IN my last despatch on the subject of the cultivation of the opium poppy in Northern Fukien, of the 29th January, 1920, I had the honour to report that a branch of the International Anti-Opium Association had been organised at Foochow, and that I had accepted, subject to the consent of His Majesty's Minister, an invitation to act as honorary president. Since then, through the honorary secretary of the local branch, the Rev. W. P. W. Williams, of Trinity College, I have been kept well informed in regard to areas under cultivation and the attitude adopted by provincial officials towards poppy cultivation,

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On the 17th of last month in a letter of which I enclose a copy (Enclosure No. 2), the committee of the association, learning from eyewitnesses that in certain parts of the province under northern jurisdiction the poppy was now in full bloom, requested me to invite the Civil Governor to send deputies to make a tour of inspection in company with delegates appointed by the association. I wrote to Governor Li in this sense next day, but, receiving no reply in the course of a week, called on him on the 26th March and discussed the matter personally. Reminding his Excellency of his report to the Wai-chiao Pu, in which he stated that, "If so much an inch of poppy plant appears above ground, the local officials as well as the illicit cultivators are most severely punished," I urged the Governor to abandon the system of fines and at once order the crops to he destroyed. No time should be lost in doing so, as the plant was now in flower and would very shortly be harvested; every day's delay would be gain to the illicit cultivator. His Excellency readily agreed to my proposal for a joint inspection by his own officers and representatives of the Anti-Opium Association. Heien Yu was within southern jurisdiction, but the foreign affairs delegate would at once arrange for joint inspection in the neighbouring district of Fu Tien and at Fu An in the north of the province. Mr. Lo, secretary to the foreign affairs delegate, was present during this interview.

Next day, the 27th March, I telephoned to the foreign delegate, Mr. Wang, the names of the representatives appointed by the Anti-Opium Association, but he replied that no written instructions had yet been received from Governor Li, and on the 29th March, Mr. Wang sent a secretary to inform me that he could not arrange for a joint inspection without the authority of the Wai-chiao Pu, to whom he had telegraphed. From these delays it appeared plain that Governor Li was endeavour- ing to gain time, and I accordingly advised you of the situation in my telegram of the 29th March. Subsequent reports, to which I shall refer later, show that about this time great activity began to manifest itself amongst officials in the Pu Tien and Fu An districts.

On the 7th April, Mr. Wang called and handed to me what purported to be a copy of a telegram which he had received from the Wai-chiao Pu in answer to his enquiry with regard to a joint inspection. It is dated the 3rd April and states that. as the period of the Opium Agreement has expired, the terms regulating joint inspection no longer hold good and in any case never contemplated inspection except by officers of the two Governments concerned. It was impossible therefore to agree to representatives of the Anti-Opium Association officially accompanying deputies sent by Governor Li. I had the honour to inform you of this further development in my telegram of the 8th April. There the matter stands for the present.

There cannot be the slightest doubt but that the cultivation of the poppy in P'u Tien and Fu An has been encouraged by the provincial authorities, in flagrant violation of the Opium Agreement, with a view to raising revenue. Apart from the direct evidence, detailed below, of what is happening in these districts, it is well known that the provincial treasury is empty, that troops are unpaid and mutinous. and the authorities are cudgelling their brains to devise fresh forms of taxation, legitimate or otherwise.

The reports which I have received give a comprehensive history of conditions in the two districts belonging to Hing Hwa Fu. namely, P ́u Tien and Hsien Yu, and in the more northern district of Fu An. Hsien Yn comes within southern jurisdic- tion, over which Governor Li can exercise no control; so far as northern jurisdiction is responsible P'u Tien and Fu An alone are of immediate interest. Outside these two districts I have not heard of any poppy planted in northern Fukien.

First, with regard to P'u Tien, on the 13th March of this year, an English

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medical missionary long resident in Hinghwa reported that the poppy was growing there in large quantities, which increased as the dividing line between north and south was approached. The drug was more plentiful than in the revolution year and could be purchased in quantity with ease. More details were given in an interesting series of letters from another missionary at Hinghwa. 18th March this gentleman reported that no effort was being made this year to compel farmers to destroy the poppy, the crop was being reserved for taxation; and in order to save overhead expenses the tax was being collected direct by Colonel Wang Hsien- ch'en of Governor Li's body-guard; it was three times heavier than last year, and all, except immediate expenses of collection, was being sent to the Governor. The thing to be noted is that the Government has sanctioned the planting of this poppy and that the Governor is very intimately connected with the affair. It was deliber ately planned months ago in order to bring in revenue." On the 2nd April the same correspondent records considerable activity in the district, in the shape of anxiety to collect taxes, reduction by half being offered for ready money. Taxation was some- times levied quite indiscriminately on planters and non-planters alike. Opium was plentiful, selling at 90 cents an ounce instead of at 16 doliars, the price two years ago. On the 6th April a further letter reports that the poppy in P'u Tien is being uprooted in great haste, but all the tax possible was being collected. The enclosed photographs.* taken on the 30th March in P'u Tien and Hsien Yu, are a damning commentary on Governor Li's statement already quoted, If so much as an inch of poppy plant appears, &c."

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Second, in regard to Fu An, this district is in the north-east corner of the province and the harvesting season is a little later than in Hinghwa. On the 13th March an English missionary reported to me that a considerable quantity of poppy had been seen growing in lower Fu An. His church council sent a representative to the Fu An magistrate to inform him of the situation, but the magistrate had taken no action. A reliable Chinese correspondent, in a more recent letter, reports that this official was suddenly summoned to Foochow, and on his return issued a proclamation ordering that the poppy crop be destroyed within ten days. The farmers, however, understand that it is not his intention to take any drastic measures at present; he will merely collect a tax and, as the crop will be ripe for harvest in about ten days, they believe they will be able to gather it, "unless a foreigner comes to inspect.'

I have, &c.

Enclosure 2 in No. 44.

G. A. COMBE.

International Anti-Opium Association (Foochow Branch) to Consul Combe.

Dear Sir.

Nantai, Foochow, March 17, 1920. I AM writing on behalf of the committee of the above-named association to ask you in your official capacity to take up the question of the cultivation of opium in Fuan and Siengya. At a public meeting of our association, held on the 13th instant, it was reported by eye-witnesses that large tracts of land in both Fuan and Siengyu are under cultivation and that in some places the poppy is now in full bloom. Taxes on it are being levied. It was the sense of the meeting that negotiations should be opened with the Governor without delay, and that he should be asked to send delegates to investigate the matter with delegates from this association. We shall be most grateful to you for your help in this business.

I am, &c.

W. P. W. WILLIAMS.

Enclosure 3 in No. 44.

Wai-chiao Pu to Foreign Affairs Delegate, Foochow,

(Translation.) (Telegraphic.)

YOUR telegram of the 19th.

Wai-chiao Pu, April 3.

The period of the Opium Agreement having already long expired, it is impossible to allow foreigners to participate in an inspection. Moreover, the Anti- ✔ Not reproduced.

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