The San Francisco call., 1909-11-14

of 5000 900, Mexican, per year, besides
the heavy losses in the Indian trade,
by reason of the new regulations, al
though part of the direct loss viii
be borne by the central government.
But the amount of the financial loss
itself shows that the reforms in Hong
kong are radical and effective.
BRITISH ARE OBSTRUCTIVE
But in their dealings with China
proper the British have shown them
selves unsympa thetic, if not actually
China was merely going TO reduce the
quantity of imported opium and not
the native grown supply They have
wanted assurances over and over that
China intended a real reform: and il
there was TO be any trade In opium
they saw to their having the lions
share of it. In the report of the inter-
national opium commission, which has
lust been published in Shanghai, the
British delegation appears in very
bad light The ajority of the Ameri-
can resolutions brought forward in the
interests of opium reform were either
rejected or emasculated, owing to Brit
ish opposition. The first was withdrawn
because the British delegation was un-
able to accept the view that opium
should be confined simply and solely
to medical uses"
Perha ps the most fla grant case of
British opposition was to the eighth
and last OF the American proposals,
for which both the Chinese and Ameri-
can delegates pressed hard. but un-
successfully. 1t reads as follows
BE II resolved. that. in the opinion of
the international opium commission,
every nation which effectively prohibits
the production of opium and it's deriva-
tives in that country, except for medi-
cal purposes, should be free to pro-
hibit the importation into its terrific
ries of opium or its derivatives, except
for medical purposes"
GREAT PROGRESS MADE
AS regards this resolution, Doctor
Tenney, the American proposer, said:
"The existing treaties prevent China
from exercising her right as a sover-
efgn power to act for the protection of
her own people. The consciousness of
this limitation acts as a paralysis on
the minds of Chinese reformers. Right
ly or wrongly. it turns into pessimists
muItitudes who would otherwise be
working with enthusiasm for the re-
generation of their country. This /
know by abundant evidence.
Sir Clement Smith. the senior British
delegate, challenged the right Of the
Chinese delegation to support this reso-
luton, on what GROUNDS 1t Is not stared,
and ne pointed out that the effect Of
the resolution would be the abrogation
of existing treaties. and that 1t would
be amazing TO suppose that any power
would for moment agree to the repu-
diation of agreements solemnly entered
into He did not go into the disgrace
fuI terms of those agreements, or the
force used by Great Britain in obtain
ing them
But Notwithstanding the tremendous
difficulties to be overcome, financial
and moral, internal and external, not
the least of which is the attitude of
the British government, the consensus
of opinion from all parts of the coun-
try is that in the aggregate great prog
ress has been made.
1t is probable that no question has
ever stirred the Chinese so profoundly
as a nation as has this opium question
The young patriotism of the nation has
crystaliized about it and is gradually
but surely branding opium smoking as
an evil that must be eradicated." There
have been many discouragements and
many failures. but so much has already
been accomplished as to hardly leave
the result in doubt. The 10 years origs
inally set aside for its accomplishment
Will. however, probably draw them
selves out into several decades before
the pipe shall have completely disap-
pcared