The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1909-02-11
rs MOTHER OF TIE ATRoctoUs
OPIUM TRAFFIC THAT MUST
% souELcAEp.

SHANGHAI China Feh lily
q. = Before the representative 81
thr world powers q Occidcni and
Orient together with preventative
fIum the drug cursed ISLES ~ remote
ocoanih. constituting the lnterna-
tlDnai opium commission. which o.
IN session ga this city England. th-
mother - the atrUeiauH opium traf-
Us. iH standing trial. charged wtth
ono ~ the most heinious crimes ever
pcrpctratcd against humanity
Eliminating she great moral eaua
tion Involved n this world move
msnt 90 free millions 81 slaves from
the druE habit. through the prohibit
tion % the expectation OF importa-
ton % opium except for medicinal
purposes political possibilities at
tend tho findings ~ the commission.
which 10 holding the attention Of
the cabinets - those powers with FAR
eastern interests.
Serious Charges.
The responsibility for the intro.
suction ~ the drug into Ch,ns and
the sxtsnsion % its vicious influsnea
over the subjsot peoples 81 the sast.
20 eharpsable 90 England ard the
determined members 81 the world
court new IN session have indicated
their intsntion Of demanding sspis.
ton 81 the offsHss. though Il thrsst-
ems the Acknowledgement 81 Britain's
eastern empire.
That the surrender % England 10
the demand for opium prohibition
under pressure from the other pow
srs. which are practically committed
20 giving official aid ln carrying out
the recommends ~ tho com
mission. will develop an Immediate
crisis Ia turbulent India. 10 ac-
hnoWiedErd 60 be inevitable
History Of Traffic.
A brief reference Go the history o.
the opium traffic. ia view Of the dcs
peratc position England occupies
today. juHtifica the belief Iva the Law
of ultimate compensation.
In 1884 Cummimaionor Lin OF the
Chinese government destroyed An
enormous quantity ~ opium stored
In Canton. and an imperial cdict
WIS issued concurTently prohibiting
the importation Of the drug
The destroyed opium had been i'm
ported from india. England. real
izing that the heavy export tax coll
lected In India on the drug would
be lost % her colonial treasury ~
the cdict was made operative.
charged China with destroying the
property ~ English citizens. and
dispatched military and naval
force against the helpless empire
china's Indemnity.
At the conclusion Of the war thus
inaugaratcd. China was forced 90
pay AN indemnity ~ s27 600 900 and
10 give official sanction 10 the Inn
portation ~ opium from India. and
finally 90 cede iionEkong 20 tho Eng
Itch.
Al this time there was not "a poppy
plant in China. Not until England
had made drug ficndR Of millions 81
tho Chinese was the cultivation of
the plant undertaken In china
Ia 1879 the export tax collected ON
opium I'm India amounted 60 $50 600. q
900 annually and today over $50
600 900 IL pouring into the colonial
treasury from the same source.
This stupendous sum pays the en-
tire expense OF maintaining the
British qarrisons IN india, and a
large part Of the administrative * -
penaea Of the colony.
The prohibition Of the opium traf
fic would wipe out practically this
entire revenue, with no other source
OF revenue available.
Threaten lnsurrection.
Any attempt to levy taxes on the