§ 1. Mr. GINNELLasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is now in a position to state substantially the terms of the proposed loan of £25,000,000 to China by the six-Power group; whether they include, or in any way depend on, the payment by China of £10,000.000 or any other sum for the opium sent by Indian speculators to Shanghai against China's protests, against China's interests, and against the successful efforts of the Chinese Government to stamp out the opium vice; whether China's refusal to submit to payment for this article, which she does not want, has been one of the difficulties in arranging loans; and, in view of the discredit attaching in China to the forcing of that drug upon that country and the consequent damage to British business and to British subjects in China, if he will say in what way and on what grounds the British Government is concerned to subject China's freedom to take a loan for beneficial purposes to a condition that she must pay for a drug admittedly injurious to her people?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Acland)The answer to all parts of the question is in the negative.
§ Mr. GINNELLDoes the British Government, knowing that China has no money for this loan, insist upon her paying for opium which she does not want?
§ Mr. ACLANDThe suggestion is perfectly untrue and, if I may say so, is a very unworthy one.
§ Sir GEORGE TOULMINMay we assume that none of the money is going to be paid for opium, and that there is no condition of any kind relating to opium?
§ Mr. ACLANDThere is no condition at all with regard to opium attached to the loan.
§ Mr. GINNELLDoes the British Foreign Office insist upon China paying for this opium?
§ Mr. ACLANDThere is nothing in the loan about opium.
§ Mr. GINNELLDoes the British Foreign Office insist in China paying for opium she does not want?
§ Mr. ACLANDNo, Sir.