The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-08-24
SMOKING OF OPIUM,
CURSE OF FAR EAST
Has Invaded, With Demoraliz.
ing Effect, the Navy OF
France.
MOST OFFICERS VICTIMS
After Once Becoming Addicted TO Use
of the Drug, Victim is Not to Be
Trusted With Any lmpor-
tant Mission.
MOST OFFICERS VICTIMS

From the London Express.
You are going to Toulon?" said an
attache of one of the ministries to me
some months ago. Then you will see
the curse of the French navy, the east
ern madness, which our colleagues al
the colonial office and at the ministry
of marines are trying hard to sup
press"
The eastern madness?" 1 asked
What is that"
-opium smoking" said my friend
laconically. Ask some of the Toulon
newspaper men to take you round"
1t was one of the first things l asked
about when l got down to Toulon. ana
the following is an account of What }
saw:
We were in a cafe near the harbor
A tall and very handsome woman sat
at the table opposite us and nodded
lazily to my companion. This did not
surprise me at all. because all Toulon
from the project maritime to the scav;
engers in the streets knew him and
called him by name. There was a lazy
WEAKNESS. or. ii you like, a weary lazi-
ness, in the woman's eyes which was
curiously noticeable.
Are you coming to smoke a pipe?'
she asked.
He looked at me inquiringly.
"Oh, bring your friend with you. He
| doesn't belong to the government. does
he?"
And so we all three got up and went
out. l do not know exactly where we
are a very 44Isatia for i%ntricacy. We
unlocked a door with a key which
madame carried In her pocket: we
climbed three flights of dark stairs and
knocked at another door.
1t was opened at last. after about a
quarter Of an hour, by a young woman
in a kimono and c~url-papers. She
looked ever sleeper than our COM
panion. and did not trouble to invite
us in. She merely left the door open.
lounged on in front and we followed.
Appearance Of "Joint."
Imagine a room il which all you can
see at first is the dirty yellow of some
c%ocoanut mating on the floor, a few
cushions covered in bright colors, and
several pairs Of feet 1t is a little puz-
Kim at first, but you realize after a
moment that the only lamp is On the
floor and that 1t has a heavy shade SO
that the light does not light up the
room
/ became used to the Semi-darkness
soon, and saw that I was in n mall
square room, in which there were siS
or eight people, three women, includ-
ing our companion, and several men. ]
noticed that the trousers which the
men wore We're those Of navy officers.
q ooked at my friend the journalist in
qr1lringly.
"Ohr yes" he said, land they don't
care. Once an opium smoker always
an opium smoker"
We had spoken in a whisper, but one
OF the men, a good looking fellow, who
must have been a smart officer not
long before. raised himself on one ELI
hour on1 rIn1yaref at us. Course VDnl"
he, said. BE quiet. Curse you!" And
he dropped C on the mat again.
The second sleep after the first
pipe;,' aid my friend.
"How do you know"
Because they are always Irritable
then" ne said. After the second pipe. il
takes a good deal to disturb them. and
after the third, unless they are very sea-
soned smokers. you' could let of crackers
next to. them before they awoke OF them
selves. and they would think THAT it was
wind tapping the sails"
Another Of the men sat up, I mast ex-
plain that there vas no furniture whatevec
in. thn. room. There was eocoamut mating
on the floor, there were a few pillows. and
thatwas all. Observation-Disclosures vas in the
corner, and in the middle. among the feet;
was a thing which. looked a. little like a
Turkish hubble-bubble pipe, Il Lamp OF
glass. in which I think spirit WAS burned.
making a S1nalf flame.
Next to 1t, a little, white pot with a. dark
brown paste. in 1T thai looked Like varnish.
and on q small rack, like a pen rack. sew
cral knitting needles. When man sat up,
the woman in. the. kimono, and c@rl-papers,
arawled over to him, took one OF the
Knitting needles. put yer fingers and
Thumb into the paste. and cooked a ball OF
iii on the point of a knitting needle over
tine flame of the lamp.
Odors Are Sitting.
And I noticed tfnen, as the smell became
more acute, that the whole room had a
treacly sickliness about it. That. of course,
was the opium. Next TO the man, where l
suppose he had dropped 1t. was Il long
ch~erry-wooGi stem with q bulb of amber at
one end of it. and a tiny cup at the other.
l think tho cup had a pin In it, but am
not sure. The woman put che little hall
of opium, which had frizzled and sized
in the fame. into the cup. and held the
ember bulb to the mans mouth.
He drew at the pipe. fnllaltng the smoke,
but he was too far gone TO hold the pipe
for himself. The woman had TO do that
for him. He stopped inhaling after a mo-
ment or two. and she tore the neck OF lais
shirt open.
Marrow squeak that" said my friend.
"I know that CHAP. He smokes eighteen
or twenty pipes sometimes, and then any
thing might happen 10 him. BE Would
, rather die of suffocation than take the
trouble to undo a button
..But what is the insidious charm OF
opium?" l asked.
.tTha l can't tell you said my friend
because a first pipe or two won't teach
it to you, and, unless you are a fool, yor
will never smoke a third"
The woman Who had brought ns in, ant
in whose room we were. had just prepared
. q pipe for herself. "smoke?" she said, ant
; put her pipe to my lips. I took two CT
three whitfs. and then got out of the roor'
) and the house as quickly as possible.
learned from my friend. who came
after me, that all the men in the room
were navy officers. 1 learned, too, thu
next day, when l felt better, that opium
which in spite of the efforts made b.
. the government 10 check in TIA
J drug, is currently sold in all the ports. ant
0 particularly IN those of the south, is max