Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-05
Looks to America for DISTINGUISHED
Advice.
OPIUM A NATIONAL CURSE
Objection Of the Chinese to the Ex.
clusion Law and Means They
Take to Dodge It.

Prof. jerks of Chinese fame and thence
continue to Europe. In speaking to a Star
reporter today OF China and her needs, Mr.
Michael said
Il have just come from China where I
have been living for over thirty years and
passing through my way to England.
have been presented to President Roose-
welt today by Mr. Roberts, director of tho
mint, and have received very good treat
ment from the heads OF all the depart
ments-Mr. Treat of the Treasury. MIR
Metcalf Of the Department OF Commerce
and Labor, Mr.. Taylor, assistant secretary:
Mr.. Rdgley, controller of the currency
and they have all treated me very kindly,
and whatever questions I have asked they
nave explained to me, and / am very much
obliged to them.
First of all. 1 wish to express my admi-
ration of your great country: not great In
bullsness, but its greatness in its system
and everything else. Now, We I'm China, of
late have been suffering very much from a
system of currency, and the United States
mas sent us Prof. jerks. who has stayed
In China over twelve months and studied
the whole affair of currency, lectured and
taught the Chinese the benefit of a stable
currency Prince Ching. the second high
est authority to the empress dowager has
acknowledged by letter to Prof. jerks his
appreciation of all the work Prof. jerks
has done, and he admitted that IL would be
of great benefit to China to establish a cur
rency, hut said that China. being so ancient
and such a vast place, consisting of eigh-
teen provinces, each province practically
a government In itself IL would take
some time to centralize the whole system.
Need Modern Training.
81 came to see tie President as am OF
the opinion that he is the only person that
viii be able to use his good offices In the
respect of accelerating the currency ques-
tion In China II is now realized in China
and all over world that the advice from
the President of the United States is given
for the goodness of the thing, and, there
fore | consider that the President is the
one man able to use his Office In that re-
spect, and by fixing the currency In China
1t means that trade will increase ten fold.
1t is not very optomiStic to say that II
person today takes one hundred dollars.
travels three or four times around China.
exchanges them In different places for the
currency of that place. he will return
empty-handed; the whole lot eaten up In
discounts. This is proof of how the trade
is hampered from advancing in China At
present the whole world is trying to
pand the trade. and IL Chinas currency Is
put on solid basis 1t will not only be OF
benefit to China. but to the world at large,
and trade would be overlooking.
What China lacks is some missionaries
from America: not missionaries of religion
az regards that she mas more than
she wants from all nations-but MISSION
aries of science missionaries of education
and missionaries like Prof. jerks. a Few
could be spared from America, and China
merchants as class are very highly
esteemed by all the bankers and the for
eign merchants in China. They are ster-
ling people, very good to deal with ana
very honest OF course, ] am only talking
from a merchants standpoint.
"As regards the rulers of the country
leave that to the diplomats to decide the
question L find in some papers that 1t is
said that America intends refunding tho
balance of the Chinese indemnity to China
/ don't think that China Will interpret that
fta@a
pref it as magnanimity on the part Of the
United States. but 1 fear she will interpret
fl the other way as sign OF weakness on
the part of the United States and as an
indication that the United States wants 10
curry favor with China; therefore IL would
be a very false policy TO return the indem-
nifty to China The United States could do
very much good with IL by keeping 1t for
the education of the children of Chinese in
the United States. In such way, much
better use could be made of the money to-
ward the advancement OF China and the
world in general. One other thing The
President might use his influence towards
is to induce China to do away with the
worst curse In China. and that is the opium
smoking. At present China spends every
year forty millions of gold in opium inn
portation and raises itself opium to the
value of 500, Oo0o This large sum or
money spent in opium demoralizes the
energy of the Chinese, weakenS the pur-
chasing power of the Chinese which they
could utilize in buying cotton goods, metals
and other things which would be of more
benefit to people at large and the United
States would do great thing by stopping
the importation OF opium herself IN her
country.
Decline of the Boycott.
LET the United States take example from
Japan and Australia. They absolutely pro-
hibit opium from being imported into Japan
except for medicinal purposes. In Formosa,
which was taken by Japan ten years ago
and where Chinese have been infatuated
to smoking opium for very many years,
she has made a sort Of a system where the
people of those habits can continue smoking
opium, but every one must take hcence
and no new generation is allowed to smoke
So as the old generation dies out there will
be no more smoking in Formosa. As re-
CARDS Australia, it is only lately that we
heard she prohibits Importation OF opium
Why should America with all her education
and reform allow Importation OF opium?
LAS regards the boycott in China. so far
as l know, the back of IT is broken. not
so much by diplomacy In Washington. but
more by tactics of American merchants
in Hongkong. headed by Mr.. ]. w. Boles,
who had several meetings in the Chinese
chamber of commerce and gave them
many lectures and dinners, and explained
the whole matter that the merchants have
been taking the wrong side of the question
by continuing the boycott II there is any
difference between the United States and
China, IL will be set all right by diplomacy
and 1t has been going on very well. BY
making very fine speeches and convincing
them, they have changed their mind and
they have begun to deal in such American
goods as were formerly tabooed.
1.-THE Chinese do resent the action of the
United States in this strict way of barring
them from coming to the United States
They say. when other nations are allowed
to irnmigrate to the United States why
should China be excluded7 AS ], myself.
personally understand, Chinese merchants
bankers. literary people and travellers all
have free access to the country, but what
America objects to is the laboring and
coolie classes coming over to America.
Yet, with the different schemes that have
been in force in America for prohibiting
the immigration of these coolies, all
schemes have been lodged. that 1t Is said
that Chinese must have $500 when he
comes but coolie who Is not worth 1t
may borrow his $500 from the ioaning con-
Germs and come into the United States.
make money and return the $500, but there
is way that the United States could
take and that is to insist upon a test of
education of Chinese who Intend to come
and live in the country. The laboring man
cannot AFFORD to spend money to educate
himself in China, and II such tests are
put through. then only q good class VIII
come to the United States. and that class
viii not etoop down to low t1bofius WORK.