Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-25
CH|NA'S GREAT TASK
Will Undertake Suppression of
the Opium Traffic.
EMPRESS DOWAGER'S EDICT
Cultivation of the Poppy Must Cease
in Ten Years.
USERS OF DRUG MUST REGISTER
Part Taken by Great Britain in Fore
ing the Curse on the Orientals
Vast Industry Involved.
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.

.'A-
Herald
Among the many important reforms that
have been undertaken by the imperial gov
eminent of China is the suppression of the
opium traffic, and 1t is good deal of a
task If the government of the United
States should attempt to suppress the Ii
Quor habit ii would be more difficult, for
as ex-Secretary Foster said in his recent
lecture before the National Geographic So
ciety. nearly every family in China has
felt the clutch of this monster vice. and it
is known to have impoverished whole COM
munitles. 1t is, however denied that the
drug is largely used by the official class
y prominent mandarin of Picking, speaking
from intimate knowledge Of the matter. has
stated that a very small percentage of high
officials in Pekiug smoke opium, and that
OF all the vlceroys and governors only one
is addicted To the habit
This fact. Mr.. Foster says. gives greater
hope for the enforcement of the edict OF
the empress dawager. Issued on the Goth of
last September for the gradual suppression
Of the cultivation of the poppy and the
use of opium IN ten years. Farmers are
forbidden to plant new ground to pop
pies and the area now used for that pur-
pose must he diminished 10 per cent each
year and cease entirely at the end OF the
tenth year.
Required to Register.
All persons-it is estimated that they
number 100. 900. Coo-who use opium are re-
quire to register their names with the
police and obtain permits which will allow
them Ia purchase given quantity of the
drug at certain periods, which will be noted
in the permit, and all dealers are forbidden
to give or sell the drug to any one in
greater quantity o. at more frequent pc
RODS than are allowed in the permit. All
a
tinue its use as at present but all persons
under that age will be required to reduce
their consumption by 81 per cent yearly
aud cease to use it entirely at the end of
1--WE years. The permits are to be renewed
annually and the allowance indicated upon
them will he reduced 30 per cent in time
and i'm quantity These permits are sold
for fees which increase in the inverse ratio
of age. y person sixty years old pays the
minimum fee; Il person of fifty pays twice
rs much; person of forty pays twice as
much rs of fifty; and so on, which
makes the fee for young men almost pro-
hibitive.
At the end of five years persons under
sixty-tve years of age who continue to
use opium will be compelled 10 wear d
distinctive badge which will advertise them
publicly as opium tiends.
All government officials, princes,
dukes viceroys and generals, less than
sixty years of age must give up the habit
within siN months 7 tender their resigna-
tons. All teachers and students must
abandon the habit within one year. All Of
ticorS 81 the army and navy must abandon
the habit at once. and a cdb,eGram to the
newspapers. recently published. states that
several officers of the old Mamchu Banner
Corps. the Imperial Guard. who protect the
person of the emperor and empress dow
ag,r. have already been court-martialed
and cashicrrd for failure to obey this
cdct.
Restriction on Dealers.
Dealers in opium are required to take out
licenses and to report all purchases ana
sales To- the police. Their purchases of
stock must decrease annually at the rate
of - per cent, and at the send of five years
must cease altogether. The number of
licenses issued will decrease in the same
proportion. so that the opium shops will be
abolished gradually. The sale of pipes,
lamps and other smoking appliances must
cease within the year All places OF pub
lie resort for opium smoking are to be
closed. and those who are addicted to the
habit must practice it at their own homes
Violations of this law are ~ be punished
by the Imprisonment of the offenders and
by the confiscation of all their property.
The Importation of morphia and other
forms of opium and hypodermc syrin"es is
permitted under most stringent regulations
and the sale limited to practicing physi-
clans. The government will establish dis,
peusaries at which medicines to coun- eract
the craving for opium will be furnished to
the public free of cost.
The government 1acriiices revc- of
about So 100000 year in the suppression
OF the wee
Negotiations With Other Nations.
- ,a,,.,,,,.. hoe, ,,s.r,,o+od ,be
Inc empress uo""ser mas ii'9'i ''eu .iie
foreign office To enter INTO negotiation Win
France, Persia, the Netherlands and Great
Britain. with a View to terminating the i'm
,,r,,,ior 80 tho drug Unfortunately how
:, IN - ;,,.,,,. 20 do .,,,,thi,e, i,
eNSi' ~ "'i "' M ~ w "'' N' "
that direction without the consent anu CO.
operation OF Hleat brltain' ms 10 iot the
hrst tlfne Chihd mas u.cu 10 Tree ilei peo
PIE from tHe cur puI vi! eNT,S ".'ehPt
she mas peyn r, u'lSdtv 800. ny tile nilt,eH CIV
Srhineh'' hc biitiFn coioiIs W ing .1
kohs - W %, 't .ie
i, - - 80 - ~ CI'iI - ,r w &c
'ilv o 2 90 g. a. - - Shia ~ ,ho
DPiuti4 -, - - ~ - h, &c
1l.i 81 !si,a,- 90 n,' AZ
,' 49, L. H., % 10 ~. J1ror,attnn
of the drug had never exceeded 200 chests
hiIy ,na ,o,nno,, i,s iInnort tinI IN,
creased hve-fold. and in iI9O il has
mounted up to 1900 chests. By that time
It's eVli eHecls were SO apparent III tne VI
DrnYirc %. arnorazed the emnernr r. for It's