Evening star., 1909-05-31
TO ABOLISH ABS|NTHE
United States and Other Ma.
tions Begin Warfare.
RANKS NEXT TO OPIUM
French Liquor Considered Most In
furious of All Intoxicants.
BILL INTRODUCED IN FRANCE
Proposed to Prohibit Manufacture
Because Of It's Effect on Physical
Condition of the Race.
RANKS NEXT TO OPIUM
BILL INTRODUCED IN FRANCE
RY WuIIAM cIrRrIS


Herald.
The United States and several OF the
European countries have declared war
| against absinthe, which. next to opium, is
considered the most injurious OF all in
toxicants. The international opium COM
mission, which has been considering ways
and means for the suppression of the
traffic in that drug, particularly in China,
adjourned a 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
is now preparing his report to the Secre-
tary of State.
The Chinese government is making de-
termined efforts to suppress the opium
habit among its subjects. 1t has for
hidden the use of opium by public off,
cials under the penalty of dismissal, and
no man be appointed to office here
after in China who is addicted to the
habit. All public resorts for smoking
cities. but in the foreign quarters to the
shame of civilization. many of them are
still allowed to do business. The sale OF
opium to private individuals has been re-
stricted under the most severe rules. and
none but a man over sixty years of age
| can purchase 1t without violating the
law. The cultivation of the poppy, from
which opium is made, must cease entirely
| within the Chinese empire during the next
! eight years. The decree to that enect.
issued two years ago. gave the opium
| farmers sufficient 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 intend to do
| the best they can, and the international
| opium commission was appointed two
years ago for the purpose of securing
the cooperation of the United States and
| the European nations.
| England's Pernicious Policy.
| The greatest difficulty that has been
encountered by the Chinese government
in it's war against opium has been the
determination of the British opium manu-
| facturers in India to dispose of their
product, which Is valued at many mil
lions of dollars per year. The cultiva-
ton and manufacture of opium In India
is government monopoly. and. notwith-
standing the periodical agitations for It's
suppression, and the many bills that have
| been introduced into parliament to that
effect. the business has continued up to
this. date, to the profit of the Indian
| treasury and the opium farmers In two
Of the native states. The British gov
ernment has forced China to buy the
| prOduCl, ana the CITY OF f1OHShOHS 10 a
monument to that pernicious and cruel
policy. England holds the Island of
| Hongkong today as indemnity for
cargo of opium which was thrown into
the sea by the indignant people of China
| about seyenty-five years ago.
In order to protect the Chinese govern
ment from repetition of such injustice
| and to encourage the efforts 1t 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
| Importation of opium into China and
traffic in other drugs that are harmful
| to mankind. The British government en-
tered cordially into the movement and
not only sent delegates to the recent
meeting at Shanghai. but will agree to
| a gradual suppression of opium culture
| in India and it's total abolition within a
| term of years.
This is a great triumph in philanthro
ply, because it will ultimately restrain.
| if it does not abolish. one of the most de-
structive habits ever acquired by men.
| 1t is not to be expected that the produc-
| ton or traffic in opium will entirely
cease, but it will be made lawful and
| such a penalty will be imposed that it
will be Improbable.
The War on Absinthe.
Similar measures are being taken to
abolish the use of absinthe, which prob
ably ranks next to opium as curse to
mankind. France and Belgium consume
more absnthe than any other countries;
France and Switzerland are the largest
producers. The importation of absnthe
into the United States is forbidden. and
| the habit has never been acquired to any
| great extent by the American people
| Comparatively little is used in England,
| Germany, Russia. Italy and other Euro
pean 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 physical condi-
tion of the French people Realizing
this, a bill has been introduced in the
French chambers to prohibit the manu-
| facture, importation and sale of absinthe
| within the limits Of the French territory
and it will probably become a law. al
though the opposition is we'll organized
! and influential.
! great deal Of absinthe was formerly
made by the monks. but since the expul-
has been taken over by corporations and
individuals of large capital. The extent
! of the traffic may be inferred by the fact
that the tax collected on the industry
averages more than $12,O0OOOO year.
| The opposition to the proposed law comes
not only from the manufacturers, but
from a multitude of farmers who culti
vate hyssop and other herbs from which
| absinthe is made, from the makers of
bottles and corks, and from hundreds of
| thousands of retail dealers. The opposi-
ton, in their arguments. have disclosed
the singular fact that the people OF Brit
any and Normandy, who consume more
wine and brandy than any other part of
| the population of France. and who are
more notorious for drunkenness and
| crime, consume no absinthe whatever;
| and that. in the provinces where the larg-
est amount of absinthe is consumed, the
smallest proportion of drunkenness and
crime is reported.
Prohibited by Belgium.
| The Belgian government has forbidden
the importation and sale of absinthe. and
| the people of Switzerland. by a popular
vote. have recently adopted an amend
| ment to their constitution prohibiting its
manufacture, Importation, sale or trans
portation, except when passing from one
country to another through Swiss terri
| tory The prohibition is extended to all
beverages which, under any name, repre-
sent limitations of absinthe, and may by
! law be further extended to such liquors
| tute a public danger. The amendment
goes into effect July 3. 1910. three years
| from the day of the popular vote. In the
| meantime the necessary regulations will
| be prepared and published. The ques-
| ton of indemnifying people who have
| "a pitaI invested in the manufacture and
| traffic is left open. to be disposed Of in
| the future by the Swiss congress-: but 1t
| is expected that the two years allowed for
the closing Of the business will give the
| farmers who grow the herbs. the distillers
who make the liquor and the dealers who
! sell 1t ample time to change their bust