The San Francisco call., 1909-11-14
BRITISH 0BSTRUCT
ChINA'S0PIUM WAR
Reform in Celestial Empire Is
Marked by Curious Mixture
of Energy and Apathy
Officials Take Advantage of
Power Over Drug Users to
Work Graft Schemes
Especial Correspondence of The Cal]

Especial correspondence Of The CALI
SHANGHAI. Oct. Is.-There is a
growing tendency among the Chinese
officials and among opium smokers as
well TO lapse from their first enthus-
iasm for the abolition of the opium
habit. Reports coming in from ali over
the empire reveal a curious mixture
Of energy and apathy according to one
of the best available authorities on the
question.
They are necessarily fragmentary,"
he continues, but the general upshot
is OF good omen" One thing is sure
the glowing accounts of reform sent in
to the imperial government by pro-
vincial officials are absolutely worth
less.
In some cases an examination of the
districts from which the greatest re-
form is reported viii show an actual
increase in the use of the drug, in
stead OF q decrease; and an examination
OF the local officiaFs bank account
would probably show a commensurate
increase OF deposits to his credit
In other cases. where the viceroy
and other leading officials are honest
in their intentions to enforce reform,
the progress IS undoubtedly remarkable
and numerous deaths have occurred
among smokers who were unable to
get hold OF their usual supply of
dope" or foreign mud, as they
call it,
GENERAL PLAN OF REFORM
The general plan of reform is too
well known TO need charging upon.
The sale of opium was to become a gov
ernment monopoly, like the system of
handling liquor introduced in South
Carolina. All dens were to be closed
and the drug was to be sold only at
dispensaries, but could not be used on
the premises. Secondly the raising OF
native opium was to be cut down
tenth each year in PekinG an eighth,
and to cease altogether in 10 years.
Thirdly, the importa tiOn of opium from
India was likewise to be decreased by
5.100 cases per annum, and finally, no
official was to be allowed TO hold office
who continued TO smoke. In all of these
directions some progress has been made,
but probably each provision has been
used in one way or another for work
ing a private graft.
In Lao T9o Kow, city with 500 opium
dens. selling from 10000 TO 1000 cash
worth of the drug each day, it is re-
ported that tie special opium commits
sioner appointed by the magistrate or
dered all smokers to be registered, but
they were allowed TO register for five
or six times the amount they used, so
that a reduction of 10 per cent would
not seriously affect them. Nonsmokers
registered women and children as well
as themselves, and with the supplies
thus purchased opened additional .dens.
DENs FAIL TO CLOSE
The existing dens were not closed,
and we're allowed by order of the COM
missioner to sell 10 those who were not
registered, and mark on their accounts
so much for a guest" The result is
that the actual quantity of opium
smoked has increased in this district
since the institution of the reform.
Meanwhile the commissioner draws
squeeze" of 40 cash per pound of raw
opium ard 80 cash per pound of pre-
pa red opium. for every pound OF opium
sold in the district. And he took good
care not 10 be cheated on the deal. He
has careful memoranda of the quantity
each dealer had on hand. and, of course,
can have recourse to the customs re-
ceipts for any additional supplies pur-
chased.
Probably an equally profitable graft
is fmpeaching or threatening to i'm
ers This will entail long and often
very difficult journey to Peking to be
examined, and the 'impeachee," il one
may use the expression, is liable to
meet with all sorts of blackmail be-
fore he gets through with the deal,
and may perhaps be forced to borrow
money to pay his way home, unless
walking happens to be good.
REAL PROGRESS IN REFORM
On the other hand. some very earn
est Efforts are being made toward re-
form in some quarters, and some very
III advised efforts. IN SheAsi mild
sort of rebellion broke out, when an
oxerzea lous ma gfstrste seized a promi-
nent member of the gentry. who was
addicted to the drug, and had his eyes
gouged out and both his arms hacked
of The people rose up in revenge
and Killed the ma gistrate's son; while
he escaped their rage only by jumping
down the well Another case of equally
misdirected zeal was that I'm which
palace eunuch at Peking was recently
sentenced to 10 years imprisonment
because he had failed TO break himself
OF the opium habit.
But much real progress I'm the re-
form can be recorded, especially among
the Official classes at Peking, and
throughout Chi Ii province. though the
campaign has not yet much Affected the
common people there. A correspondent
writes recently from the great Shan
Tung district that. on a trip through a
country formerly largely given over to
the growing Of opium-and greatly inn
poverished by the excessive use of the
drug--not one plat OF the poppy was
seen"
CHANGE INVOLVES Loss
The governor of Chekiang province,
Tseng Ying. seems TO be very active
in the reform movement. and recently
stated TO a foreign reporter that he
would tissue instructions to the pre-
fects and district magistrates to allow
no poppy TO be planted in the autumn,
so that next year the province should
be entirely free from the production of