Semi-weekly herald., 1909-06-07
D. 8. JOINS IN FIGHT
ON sALEfoF ABsINTHE
by William e. Curtis. }

countries have declared war against /
absinthe, which, next TO opium. is con
sidered the most injurious OF all in
toxicants. The international opium
commission, which has been consider
ing ways and means for the suppress
sion of the traffic in tLat drug. par
ticularly In China. adjourned few
weeks ago, and DR.. Hamilton Wright
of this city. who. with Bishop Brent
of the Philippine Islands. represented
the government of the United States,
has returned to Washington and l.
now preparing his report to the sec
retary of state.
The Chinese government is making
determined efforts to suppress the
opium habit among its subjects. It
public officials under the penalty Of
dismissal, and no man can be ap
pointed to office hereafter In China
who is addicted to the habit. All pub
been closed In the Chinese cities, bit
IN the foreign quarters, to the shame
of civilization, many OF them are still
allowed to do business. The sale of
restricted under the most severe rules,
and none but a man over so years OF
age can purchase it without violating
the law The cultivation of the poppy
fro, bi idh mi. t., la
entirely within the Chinese emp e
during the next eight years. The de-
cree TO that effect issued two year :
ago. gave the opium farmers suffi
cient time to dispose of their property
their machinery for extracting the
juice and to engage in some other
business. 1t will be very difficult for
the Chinese authorities to suppress
| the evil, but it is evident that they In.
tend to do the best they can, and the
| international opium commission was
appointed two years ago for the pur
| pose OF securing the cooperation of
the United States and European oa-
tions.
The greatest difficulty that has been
| encountered by the Chinese govern
| ment In its war against opium has
been the determination of the British
opium manufacturers in India to dis
| pose of their product which is valued
at many millions of dollars per year
| The cultivation and manufacture of
| opium in India is government mo-
| nopoly, and, Notwithstanding the peri
odical agitations for its suppression
| and the many bills that have been
| introduced into parliament to that ef-
feet, the business has continued up
10 this date to the profit of the In
dian treasury and the opium farmers
in two of the native sta es. The Brit
ish government has forced China to
| buy the product, and the city of Hong
| kong is monument to that pernicious
and cruel policy. England holds the
Island of Kongkong today as indem,
nifty for cargo of opium which was
| thrown into the sea by the indignant
people of China about seventy-ive
years ago.
In order to protect the Chinese
government from repetition of such
injustice, and to encourage the efforts
II has been making to suppress the
traffic. Secretary Root secured the
| assent of the European nations to an
international commission to devise
ways and means TO prevent the i'm
portatio of opium into China and
traffic in other drugs that are harm
full to mankind. The British govern
ment entered cordially into the move.
ment, and not only sent delegates to
the recent meeting at Shanghai, but
will agree to gradual suppression of
opium culture in India and its total
abolition within term of years
This is great triumph in philan-
thropy, because 1t will ultimately re-
strain, If it does not abolish, one of
the most destructive habits ever ac-
quired by men. 1t is not to be expect
ed that the production or traffic in
opium will entirely cease, but 1t will
be made unlawful, and such severe
penalty will be imposed that it will
be Improbable.
Similar measures are being taken to
abolish the use of absinthe, which
probably ranks next 10 opium as n
curse TO mankind. France and Bel.
GUM consume more absinthe than any
other countries; France and Switzer.
land are the largest producers. The |
importation of absinthe into the Unit |
ed States is forbidden. and the habit |
has never been acquired to any great |
extent by the American people. Com. |
paratively little is used in England
Germany, Russia, Italy and other Flu.
ropean countries, but its consumption
has been general In France, and the
use of the liquor has been one of the
causes of notorious decline in the
condition OF the French peo
pie. Realizing his. a bill has been
introduced In tie French chambers to
prohibit the manufacture. important IN
aud sale OF absinthe within the limits