CO129-513-5 Coastal and river trade- prevention of smuggling and illicit trading 15-10-1928 - 14-12-1929 — Page 83

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desire whole heartedly a restoration of the system

whereby our ships are subjected to nearch by one cen-

tral authority and that, the Chinese Maritime Customs,

and understand to assist in effecting this no effort

must be spared on our part to stop the carriage of

illicit cargo and to this end we have in the past and

are at present doing everything humanly possible short

of bringing our Buropean personel into armed conflict

with the smugglers,

We read your despatch as being of a general

nature and not intended solely to apply to British

ships controlled by us as the case mentioned by you

on page 4 where a quantity of opium amounting to near-

ly 1 tona was found on board did not happen to be one

of our vessels, In fact we think we onn justly claim

that in the matter of opium and pidgin cargo the casOS

occurring in vessels managed by us does not compare

unfavourably with others. To stop it entirely is our

object but to accomplish it in the present state of

di so rganization and in the face of the active counten-

ance of Chinese, officialdom is well nigh impossible.

In conlusion we might add that at present and

for some time past we have only had one small boat

running between Ichang and Chungking * th

the s.s."Kingwo

and that at the moment of writing she is held on ac-

count of the lowness of the mter which in all pro-

bability will necessitate her being brought to Shanghai

and there laid up until say the end of March next so

that the problem as far as we are concerned does not

assume large proportions.

0.F.Garstin, Esq., 0.3.E.

H.B.H. Asting Consul General,

SHANGHAI.

We have the honour to be,

sir,

Your obedient Serfants,

SIGNED) JARDINE MATHESON & CO. IMD

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