Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-28
THE OPIUM TRAFFIC.
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

China is stamping out the opium traffic
with vigor never before manifested in
such an undertaking. England. monarch
ical. but Christian. is insisting that China
must pay some fifty million dollars for
opium that has been produced by British
subjects and shipped to Chinese ports
where the Chinese authorities would not
permit it to be unlOaded. The United
States. both republican and Christian, a
few years ago called an international
council for the suppression of the opium
traffic and discovered to its surprise that
the great American republic itself was
the home of a tremendous traffic in opium
and other vicious, habit-forming drugs.
Three bills are now being considered in
Congress which deal with the subject.
One is to remedy defects In the act passed
| in 1909 forbidding the importation of
opium for other than medicinal purposes.
Another increases the internal revenue
tax on opium produced in this country for
smoking purposes. The third provides
| for the registration with the collectors OF
internal revenue and the payment Of a
special tax by "all persons who produce,
| import. compound, manufacture, deal In,
| dispense. sell or give away opium or CO.
| Goa leaves. their salts, derivatives or
preparations"
| The object Of the United States in orig
| mating the international movement for
| the suppression Of the opium traffic was
| to lessen the deplorable habit OF opium
smoking in the orient. Directly after the
appointment Of the American delegates to
| the first international opium commission
| it was discovered that this nation was it
self permitting a traffic In opium and de-
irving revenue from 1t. Between 1880 and
| 1908 the United States had collected an
aggregate revenue from opium amounting
| to S27, 100000. AS it was not possible for
the American delegates to the interna-
tional commission to press the suppression
of the eastern opium traffic under these
conditions, an opium exclusion act was
passed in 1909 This was to permit the
delegates to the commission to maintain
the position desired by this government
| for the suppression of the evil.
| X x
| The opium exclusion bill of 1909 was
found defective when it came to the test
| of practical en-
| Exclusion Bill forcement. The
Is Found Defective. ton of the inn
portation of opium tended greatly to in
crease smuggling. especially along the
Mexican border
| The Harrison bill. providing for the
| registration of all persons in any way
connected with the handling of the drugs,
opium and cocaine, will enable the gov
| crnment not only to lessen the amount
1 of smuggling, but will also he record
Of the quantities of such drugs in the
country and the final disposition of the
| same. The bill provides that every per-
son selling the drugs shall preserve the
| order for the sale for two years in order
| that it may be readily accessible for the
| inspection of any authorized officer. An
| other pending bill provides for the levy
| ing of an internal revenue tax of $2GO per
pound upon all opium manufactured in
| the United States for smoking purposes.
| This applies especially to the opium made
/ from poppies grown in this country, par
| tlcularly along the Pacific coast, which
| msi.t, without this restriction, become a
| fourlshing industry.
The BILL prohibiting the importation of
| opium has also a section prohibiting its
| export. The penalty provided for any
| person found to have smoking opium In
his possession while board any car.
| sessei or other vehicle outward bound
| from the lnited States is the same as
| that provided for an attempt to bring the
/ drug INTO the country. This provision is
| In compliance with a resoiuti on passed
| az me hague by the opium commission
| 10 ADOPT reasonable measures to prevent.
| al al ports OF departure, the shipment of
OPIUM anu us derivatives to any country
which prohibits their entry"
me estapl shment of this cooperation
| will materially assist all of the govern
ments to
Means Prevention vercome
OF Opium Smuggling. e ep,u" s s,es h
| a provision already has been adopted by
India. the crown colony at Hongkong
and the Dominion of Canada. The SIM
liar action OF other governments is ex-
| pected.
| The first International onium commits
sion was called by the United States at
Shanghai, China, in 1909 The one held
| at The Hague I'm December and January
of 1911-12 was also called by the Tinted
States. Twelve of tho wor,d's nonars
were represented then The second
Hague opium commission has lust con-
| Guided. At its sittings forty governments
were represented more than twenty of
Whlch sent delegates. The American del
| egates. several of whom arc nov mon
their way nome, Included LLOYD Bryce.
minister TO the court at tho Neth.rIands.
DIR. Hamilton Wright representing the
Department of State: Cerrft KaiIen IF
| Michigan, with J. Butler Wright nf the
American legation at RrnsSeIS secra.
tary, and Gerald B. SeIdomr;d"a of CO.,
RADIO assistant secretary - NV
The increase IN the use of opium. NOR
1 ~ y-.ae