Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-16

perior officers of government employees
who continue the practice for they. too.
will be removed and degraded as respon-
sible for the dsobedience OIL their sub
ordinates. Already five mandarins of
high rank. including Prince Chuan and
Prince Jul. have been removed from office
and degraded for smoking opium in Sc
cret. and other important officials will
suffer the same disgrace when Prince
Chung and his associates make their re-
port
American missionaries throughout the
empire report that there has been
strepuous effort on the part of the ma
entirely prohibit the traffic. But they
say that 1t cannot be done without the
consent and cooperation of the foreign
governments whose subjects residing IN
China are not amenable to the laws of
the empire and who continue TO violate
the edict and defy the native officials
Secretary Roots Efforts.
In order to support the Chinese gov
eminent in its efforts to eradicate the
opium evil. Secretary Root has been in
correspondence with the governments of
Great Britain. France. Germany. japan
and the Netherlands to learn whether
they will cooperate with the United
States in an investigation of this subject
were approached because they are d.
rectly or indirectly responsible for the
opium traffic. And they can prevent 1t
if they desire to do SO. Secretary Root
has informed the President that as the
result of full exchange of views with
the governments mentioned. and also
with Portugal, there will be a joint in
vestigation of the opium traffic by rep
resentatives of those nations. and Con-
gress has been asked to appropriate So
OD to pay the expenses of three commits
sioners and a secretary who are to rep
resent the United States. The commits
sioners are to meet January I. 1909, at
Shanghai. where they Will confer as to
the most convenient and practicable
method of conducting the inquiry. with
a view 10 general and effective action.
1t has also been agreed that each gov
eminent shall In the first instance. in
vestigate conditions In It's own terri
tory upon its own account with particu-
lar attention to the commercial and agri-
cultural as we'll as the moral aspects of
the subject.
Secretary Roots Plan.
In speaking of his plan Secretary Root
says: 1.-The action thus inaugurated by
the United States is in conformity to the
established policy of our government, ex-
pressed in the treaty which China con-
cluded November Il. 1880. by which the
governments of China and the United
States mutually agreed that citizens of
the United States shall not be permitted
to import opium into any of the open
ports of China, to transport it from one
open port to another open port. or to buy
and sell opium in any of the open ports
of China.
This treaty was followed by the act
Of Congress of February %. 1857, prohib-
ting citizens of the United States from
engaging in the opium trade with China
under heavy penalties.
I'm 1903 A commission was appointed
by the civil government of the Philip
pines to investigate the opium traffic in
those islands and the methods Of pre-
vention. After an exhaustive inquiry
this commission reported on the 18th OF
June. 1904. and on the basis Of Its re-
ports law was enacted providing for a
progressive restriction Of the importati
and sale Of opium under special authority
of the following provision of the act of
Congress To revise and amend the tar
if laws of the Philippine Islands, ap-
proved March 3. 1905:
Provided. however, that the Philip
pine commission or any subsequent Phil
ippine legislature shall have the power
to enact legislation to prohibit absolutely
the importation or sale of opium, or to
limit or restrict its Importation and sale
or adopt such other measures as may be
required for the suppression of the evils
resulting from the sale and use Of the
drug. And provided further, that after
March l, 1908. 1t shall be unlaw ful to i'm
port into the Philippine Islands opium, in
whatever form. except by the govern
ment, and for medicinal PURPOSES only
and at no time shall it be lawful to sell
opium to any native Of the Philippine
Islands except for medicinal purposes.
excellent groundwork for the further in
ment.
While the policy of the United States
has been clear and positive to prevent
American citizens from having any part
in imposing the evils that follow the use
of opium upon the people of China and in
using all possible means to prevent the
use of opium In the Philippines, there Is
reason to believe that sufficient attention
has not been given to prevent the impor-
taton OF the drug into the United States
The Importation Of opium into the United
States In the year ending June 80 1907,
amounted to 79S, $50 pounds. While the
International investigation now proposed
relates to opium in the far east, an Incl
dental advantage Of the investigation may
be to point out the necessity and the best
method of restricting the use OF opium in
the United States.
1.-THE commercial aspect Of thu subject
involves such complicated and widespread
trade relations that an effective treatment
OF ii seems Impossible unless IL be by the
cial nations, together with those people OF