The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-02-11

SHANGHAI, China, Feb. H.
Before the Representatives of the
world powers of Occident and
Orient together with representa-
tives from the drug cursed isles OF
remote Oceania, constituting the
International Opium commission,
which is in session in this city,
England, the mother of the atroci-
Gus opium traffic. is standing trial,
charged with one of the most
heinous crimes ever perpetrated
against humanity.
Eliminating the great moral
equation involved in this world
movement to free millions OF
slaves from the drug habit through
the prohibition of the expectation
or importation of opium except for
medicinal purposes, political posi-
bilities attend the findings of the
commission, which are holding the
attention of the cabinets of those
powers with Far Eastern interests.
The responsibility for the intro
duction of the drug to China and
the extension of its vicious inf1u-
ence over the subject peoples of
the East ischargeable to England
and the determined members of
the world court now in session
have indicated their intention OF
demanding eXpiation of the Of
tense, though it threatens the dis
menberment of Britain's eastern
empire.
That the surrender of England
to the demand for opium prohibi-
ton under pressure from the 9TH
er powers, which are practically
committed to giving official aid in
carrying out the recommendations
of the commission, will develop an
immediate crisis in turbulent In
dia, is acknowledged to be in
evitable.
A brief reference to the history
of the opium traffic, in view of the
desperate position England occu'
pies today, justifies the belief in
the law of ultimate compensation
In 1894 Commissioner Lin of the
Chinese government destroyed an
enormous quantity of opium stored
in Canton and an imperial edic:
was issued concurrently prohibit
ing the importation of the drug.
The destroyed opium had been
imported from India. England real
izing that the heavy export tax col
lesded in India on the drug would
be lost to her colonial treasury il
the edict was made operative
charged China with destroying the
property of English citizens, and
. dispatched a military and naval
force against the helpless empire
At the conclusion of the wal
thus inaugurated China was forced
to pay an indemnity of $27,000,00(
and to give official sanction to the
importation of opium from India
and finally to cede Hongkong tC
the English.
At this time there was not c
poppy plant in China; not unit
England had made drug fiends o
millions of the Chinese was The
cultivation of the plant under
taken in China.
In 1879 the export tax collected
on opium in India amounted t
s30,000.000 annually and toda.
over s50,000,000 is pouring into thu
colonial treasury from the SAM
source.
The stupendous sum pays the en-
tire expense of maintaining tn
British garrisons in India, and
large part of the administrative e,
penses Of the colony.
The prohibition of the opiur
traffic would wipe out PRACTICAL
this entire revenue with no othe
source of revenue available.
ANY attempt to levy taxes o
the restless millions of India, a
ready facing starvation, it is az
mitted by the colonial official
would result in immediate insu
rection.
The present condition of Ems
lands finances prohibits the CARR
sons and administrative expense
being met by the home govern
ment The same condition obtain
In Hongkong, where practically a
the governmental expense is me