Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-01-04

Arst the movement simply had as its oplect
the Punishment Of opium from China, put
gradually the scope of the antt-oplum mis-
sionary work expanded until it embraced the
whole world-every section OF the globe where
the use Of opium has become a haplt-ano
finally within the past few months the hght
against the evil has been expanded In scope
until 1t embraces prohibitive or restrictive
action not only against opium, but also against
morphine, cocaine, and. in short, all haDit
forming drugs.
The fight against the opium evil, with I'm
Gle Sam as the chief aggressor, has been
going on steadily for some years past but 1t
Ia only now on the eve of complete success
that it has come to attract attention from all
classes of the community. From the time
when Chinese began to settle in the United
States, bringing with them, many OF them,
their love Of opium smoking it was realized
that the evil was one the menace OF which
would sooner or later be brought home to our
people-particularly those residing on the Pa
ncifc slope and in the western section of the
country where the bulk of the Mongolians
settled.
However. 1t was only after Uncle Sam came
into possession of the Philippines, following
the Spanish-American war, that our public
men and government officials were thoroughly
NJ II hOSNbPtbJ W.
problem. In the Philippines our people found
great numbers of Chinese who we're confirmed
opium smokers, and, worse yet, they were
rapidly teaching the destructive habit to the
natives of the islands. There was much agi-
tation of the subject both in the Philippines
and here in the United States and the up
shot Of the matter was that the congress Of
the United States passed laws prohibiting the
importation of opium into the Philippines
except for medicinal purposes. From that mo-
rMent there was a marked improvement Of
conditions. +,
The example Of Uncle Sans action and the
complete success which attended 1t, awakened
China to her own need and gave hope of a
solution. The progressive men of China were
deeply moved by the spectacle Of another ma
ton land one that had always been tradi-
ticnally friendly to Chinal combating at the
very doors of the Orient with an evil that
was realized by all thinking men to be sap
ping the life blood of a large share of Asia's
population. The result was a strong anti
opium movement in China and out Of this
grew a direct appeal to then President Roose-
welt from representatives of missionary so
cieties in the Far East and from commercial
organizations and institutions In the United
States. 1t was the plea Of these various in
terests that the United States government
considering its historical attitude in regard tc
the opium traffic In the Orient, should take
the initiative in assisting China to secure the
prohibition Of that traffic.
This was in the year 1904. but 1t was 6
couple of years later that definite plans were
made for an International concert OF actor
i'm the matter. In that year Bishop Charles
II. Brent of the Philippines, who was, natur
ally, in a position to appreciate the havoc
wrought by opium, wrote to President Roose
welt appealing to him ito promote some move
Enent that would gather In its embrace repre-
sentatives from all the countries where Thu
cratic in and the use Of opium is a matter 0
moment Thereupon president Roosevelt
had his secretary Of state. Mr.. Elihu Root
open up correspondence with all the power