Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-01

modern times. an astonishing measure OF
success has been obtained. The
disappearance of the poppy plant can
only be described as wonderful.
x
Apart from its vast moral significance.
the unsurpassed magnitude Of the opium
reform may be surnised from the state
ment that the growth of the opium poppy
was one of the staple crops of four prov
inces, whose population exceeds by b.
600 1000 that of the United States. AS an
occidental parallel II may be said that
the adjustment of the production, impor-
tation and use of alcoholic liquors
throughout all of Christian Europe would
fairly equal the elimination of opium by
this, an oriental nation. Can the annals
of the world disclose in human history a
peaceful reform of equal import and eX-
tent?
1t is generally recognized throughout
the empire that the most pressing need
of.China is an adequate system of railway
transportation. The provinces have been
loud in their advocacy of railroads built
by Chinese capital. The recently adopted
policy of the imperial government in ma
tionaliZing the provincial railways cul-
minated in the serious rebellion in SEE
Chuan. with its S.UD,UD OF inhabitants
1hlS action may Wei De cOISlUeTeu as
crucial test of both the political sagacity
and also of the stability and controlling
power of the imperial government.
Reciting the various needs of railways.
the imperial edict of May g. 1911. points
out that for years the emperor has fos-
tered local railway projects, but that
hitherto the Chinese companies have so
maladminiStered affairs that they are in
inextricable confusion: they have built
neither main lines nor branches. In the
province of kuantong they have issued
bonds covering half the work, while the
railroad has hardly been commenced. In
Sze-Chuan an enormous sum, intrusted as
bonds to a bank, has been lost by failure
of the bank. In Hupeh and Hounan
large sums have been spent uselessly in
past years.
The minister of communications was
directed to take possession of the provin-
cial railways and reorganize their affairs.
The edict met with immediate and bit
ter opposition. mass meeting al
Changscha, Hounan, demanding its rev.
ocation threatened to Kill all officials,
native and foreign. who should attempt to
enforce it, and declared that schools
should be closed. business suspended and
all work, industrial or agricultural
should be stopped. Like organizations OF
business men in Sze-Chuan adopted sim
liar resolutions. More serious was the
formal action along the same lines OF
the provincial assemblies of Sze-Chuar
and of Holman.
The imperial government firmly ad
hered to it's policy, but realizing the seri
BUSINESS of the situation practically ap
pealed to the people in two later edicts
1t set forth TO the two provinces tina
the naturalization of the railways wa
for the relief of the people who ha'
been oppressed by enforced subscription
and by special taxes on rice. salt an
, houses. 1t added that the railway pro
motors had oppressed the people. los
, much capital. been guilty of malversa
ton and had made no correspondent
progress in railway building. The cab
, met was instructed to ascertain tn
: amount of railway taxes exacted fror
the people with view to their return
, The inadequate progress of the variou
, provincial railway systems is apparen
planned after several years of local ef
5 fort, only seventy-two miles statesman
: Year Book. 1911). were in operation a
the end of 1910.
I To carry out its plans the imperial gov
' eminent borrowed on May 10, 1911. $50
0Go.GG3 for railway construction, realizin
t that about 100 miles of railways ha
been built in China with foreign capita
: Twelve hundred miles are to be built !
S three. years, and the railway loans wer
{ secured by the revenues of the prov
4 inces directly benefited. The foreig
loans only added fuel to the fire. an
: members of the advisory parliament de
clare that such loans must have the Ore
vious approval of parliament
1t should be said that Canton, whic
4 had made the greatest progress fro