Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-23

GENTRY 10 AID THE OFFICIALS
~ WILLIAM e. CUKrfs.

preston of the opium traffic. As they have
ten years to taper OH, they ought to be
able to take care Of themselves and dis
pose Of their stocks. particularly a. the i'm
portation Of the drug Is hereafter to be re-
strtcted They say that the imports from
India alone amount to $1,000 chests Annu-
ally. valued at $38 $50 600, and that enoF-
nous stocks are On hand ut Shanghai,
Hongkong and other ports It Is difscult
to see why the merchants Of Hongkons,
which is British colony, should be enti-
tied to any indemnity. but they will make
demand all the same. The honor and
the sincerity Of the British government are
at stake. and its treatment OF China In con-
nection with this attempted reform will test
the genuineness Of Christian civilization.
The Chinese foreign office has already en-
tered into negotiations with England for In
dia and the Straits Settlements, with
France for her colonies Of AMMAN and Ton
quin and the Netherlands for the Dutch
East Indies. from which almost all the
opium imported into China comes, but none
OF them can agree to assist the Chinese
government In suppressing this hideous
traffic without subjecting many Of their
merchants to a heavy loss.
In the British house of commons not long
ago Sir Edward Grey. minister Of foreign
anairs announced in answer to an inquiry
China its cordial support in any genuine re-
form, and Mr.. John Morley. secretary of
state for the colonies. declared that 'as
soon as China shows serious evidence OF q
determination to put a stop to the vice Eng
Land will be ready to support her and
sacrifice the revenue from that source in
india.
Obtained England's Pledge.
Immediately after these utterances, Wong
Tah-Sieh. the Chinese minister to the Court
of st. James, who was himself actively in
strumental in inausurating the reform.
called at the foreign once In London and
nailed down the assurance Of Earl Grey.
He obtained from that gentleman a formal
and omeial confirmation OF the policy Of
the British government. quite as positive
and explicit as the announcement in the
house of commons. Upon these assurances
he memorialized the empress dowager, urg-
Ing that the reform be attempted at once.
pare regulations for the suppression OF the
vice. and those regulations which are inge-
NOUS and far-reaching. were proclaimed in
an imperial edict on November q last A
copy has been received in Washington and
is worthy of careful study as illustrating
the thorough manner In which the govern
ment Of China has undertaken to carry out
the reform.
Registration Of Poppy Cultivation.
The first article calls for a registration
Of all the land upon which peoples are now
cultivated and requires that its area shall
be reduced in extent one-ninth every year,
SO that by the tenth year the growth of
the plant will entirely cease. If any land
owner shall fail to obey the edict his fields
will be conhscated and become public prop
erty. If the officials of any town. county
or province shall succeed in SURPRISING
poppy cultivation before the ten years have
expired they will be promoted.
With maternal sOIirifude article
ond admonishes officials to be lenient
with those persons who have already
acquired the opium habit. but to show
after the publication Of the edict.
THE gentry and nterati of every hamlet
must first stop this awful vice. in order
to set an example to the masses Of the peo-
pie" the edict says. And It requires all
opium smokers to register their names,
ages, places OF residence, occupations and
the amount OF the drug they are in the
habit Of smoking daily. Such persons will
receive certificates Of two classes. Those
over sixty years old will be given "a GER
tificates and will be allowed to continue the
practice of the vice as incurables. Persons
under sixty years of age will receive the
81 certificate. which must be exhibited
to the dealer whenever they purchase a
supply. For the first year 1t permits them
to smoke 20 per cent less than the amount.
they have been in the habit of consuming,
and their consumption must be diminished
in the same proportion annually until after
five years they have entirely ceased to
smoke. Complete lists of persons to whom
such certificates are granted are to be
posted for the information of the public,
with the amount of opium allowed to each.
Every consumer must break on the habit
entirely within ten years. Whenever he
Is able to present affidavftS- from his neigh
bors showing that he has already ceased
his name will be stricken from the list In
case he cannot cure himself in ten years
he will be deprived OF all civil rights and
privileges: he will be forbidden to attend
meetings. banquets and all other gatherings
o. his neighbors, and will be advertised to
the public like an outcast, as an habitual
victim of the opium vice.
Closing Opium Dens.
Article four commands that all opium
dens be closed within six months. forbids
eating houses and restaurants to sell opium,
or permit 1t to be smoked within their
premises, and prohibits the sale of pipes
and other accessories after six months
fines and by the confscation Of the prop
erty upon which the offeHse is committed
Article five says: 1T Is impossible to pro-
hibit the selling of opium all at once. But
istered and no new shops will be permitted
to open. At the end Of each year every
shop must report the amount OF opium
bought by each person and at the end of
ten years, they must terminate the busi-
ness entirely. Violations OF this rule will
be punished by confiscation OF the prop
erty in addition to fine of twice its
value"
to obtain and furnish without charge to |
the poor and at cost price to other smokers |
antidotes prepared or recommended by rec
ognized medical authorities. individuals |
who accomplish goo dresults In this work |
will be recommended for the appreciation |
NJ the eoyernment Tartar geuerala yice-