El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-28

ing. England, monarchiaI but Chris
tan, is insisting that China must pay
some $50,000,OOO for opium that has
| been produced by British subjects and
shipped to chinese ports where the
| Chinese authorities would not permit
1t to be unloadcd- The United States,
| both republican and Christian, a few
| years ago called an international cOun-
ell for the suppression of the opium
| traffic and discovered to its surprise
that the great American republic itself
! was the home of a tremendous traf-
flc IN opium and other vicious, habit
| forming drugs
Seek to Suppress Traffic.
| Three bills are now being cOnSid-
cred 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
1 the internal revenue tax on opium pro-
duced in this country for smoking pur-
| lstration with the collectors of inter
nal revenue, and the payment of a
| special tax by all persons who pro
| duce, import, compound manufacture,
| deal IN, dispense, sell or give away
! opium or coca leaves. their salts, de-
/ rlYauVes or preparations"
The object of the United States in
] originating the international movement
\ for the suppression of the opium traf-
! fic was to lessen the deplorable habit
/ of opium smoking in the orient Di-
| IGClly dLl6E the appointment OF the
| American delegates to the first in
| ternatiOnal opium commission. it was
| discovered that this nation was itself
| permitting traffic in opium and de-
| irving revenue from it. Between 1850
and 1908 the United States had col
! lected an aggregate revenue from
opium amounting to 1000, 600. As it
| was not possible for the American del
egates to the international commission
| to press the suppression of the east
ern opium traffic under these condi-
tons. an opium exclusion act was
passed in 1909. This was to permit the
delegates to the commission to main
tain the position desired by this gov
eminent for the suppression Of the
evil
Smuggling Along Border.
The opium exclusion bill of 1903 was
found defective when it came to the
test of practical enforcement. The
sudden prohibition of the importation
Of opium tended greatly to increase
smuggling especially along the Mex
lean border
registration of all persons in any way
connected with the handling Of the
drugs, opium and cocaine, will enable
the government not only to lessen the
amount of smuggling, but will also be
a record Of the quantities of such drugs
in the country and the final disposition
of the same The bill provides that
every person 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.
Another pending bill provides for the
leyying Of an internal revenue tax Of
5000 per pound upon all opium manu-
featured in the United States for smok-
ing purposes This applies especially
to the opium made from peoples grown
in this country, particularly along the
Pacific coast. which might without
this restriction, become a nOurishing
industry.
Prohibit Imports ard Exports.
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 on board
any car, vessel or other vehicle out
ward bound from the United States is
the same as that provided for an at
tempt to bring the drug into the cOun-
try. This provision is in compliance
with resolution passed at the Hague
by the opium commission that TT is
the duty of all governments to adopt
reasonable measures to prevent, at all
ports Of departure, the shipment OF
opium and its derivatives TO any coun-
try which prohibits their entry" The
establishment 70 this cooperation will
materially assist all of the govern
ments to overcome opium smuggling.
Such a provision already has been
adopted by India, the Crown colony at
Hong Kong and the Dominion of Can
ada The similar action of other gov
ernments is expected.
L. s. Leads Movement.
The first international opium COM
mission was called by the United States
at Shanghai, China, in 1909. The one
held at the Hague in December and
January of 1911-1912 was also called !
by the United States Twelve of the !
worlds powers were represented then |
Increase in Use Appalling.
The increase in the use of opium |
morphine coca leaves and cocaine has |
been appalling in the United States |
within the past generation In the |
trio Of IN,
Guiding population Of about 164, 0OO,- |
600, less than $4,000 pounds of opium |
are used annually. The United States, |
with population of 90, 600 OO0 imports |
and consumes over 100000 pounds an |
nually, averaging over half an ounce
per capita of the entire population The |
quantity OF coca leaves and cocaine |
consumed IN Europe is even less than |
that of opium as compared with the |
United States. Over 10000 pounds of |
cocaine are consumed in this coun- |
ny ahn amy A concensus Of opinion /
obtained from canvass of a large |
number of the leading physicians of |
the country indicates that $4,000 pounds /
of opium would be ample to meet the |
pie as would $4,000 ounces of CO.
caine.
1t is thus shown that more than five |
times the amount of opium and ten |
times the amount of cocaine REQUIRED |
Tor medicinal purposes is being con- |
sumed in this country each year. The !
eACeSS IS consumed by thousands of /
men and women who have become ad-
dieted to the drug habit As a re-
suit, additional criminal classes are
being created
The great majority of drug victims
acquire their taste through patent med
lclneS the careless use of drugs or
dered in the beginning by a physi-
cram. or from taking medicated soft /
drinks Patent medicine manufac-
turers, who use cocaine and morphine |
In their compounds. sometimes claim !
that these drugs lose their effect by |
being combined with other ingred-
tents Expert chemical tests prove |
this to be untrue The habitual use of |
a medicine containing only a small |
quantity of either drug may. if con-
result in the establishment Of !
an uncomfortable habit. Concaine is |
sometimes used as a snuff and its vic
lInS may begin to acquire a desire
OF II by using some of the catarrh
cures so numerous upon the market I
Many HyPOderInic Victims
physicians examination of over I
BOO morphine cases indicated that more
Lhan 80 percent of the victims used the
drug hypOdermically The instrument /
IS usually used first by a physician
10 check some acute pain. Afterwards
the patient, seeing how easily he was
renewed, begins to use the instrument
himself