Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-09-16
Chinese Indictment of Great Britian's
Defence OF the Indian Opium Traffic.

London Sept 11.~-(Special LONDON
Letter)-Just before leaving London
for China Lieutenant General l..
Chang issued the following summary
of the opium dispute between emma
and oNr home government;
I) I'M China our opium Drohibi-
ton is not yet totally done, but the
Government is always doing its best
to suppress this evil
.(2)D We have reduced our native
production by so or 80 per cent but
we need to continue our own work,
which the British government declares
!; Il, sweaJd Alike to assistsu us 10 accom-
plish.''
CD "Chinas difficulties in carrying
out this reform are greatly increased
by Englands policy in forcing Indian
opium upon u.s. and the present stocks
at our treaty ports will, if allowed to
remain there, create countless troubles
between the Chinese officials and TIE
English merchants
90 Opium prohibition in China is
being forced more strictly every daH.
and though the merchants who hold
the present stocks will by and by
complain as their opium becomes UNI
salesfble, China must still continue to
suppress without any hesitation the
evil of opium smoking
(5) The removal of the stocks is
the hest way to avoid unfortunate in
cidents, and would be the best proof
that the British Government is really
willing to help China in this reform.
60 China has in any ease great
difficulties of her own To meet but we
cannot believe that Britain desires II
add to our difficulties by compelling
us 10 take the accumulated stocks
10 1T may be said that Britain is
not going to send any more opium
from India to China. l would like to
say in. reply that the people in China
cannot see any difference between the
opium imported directly from India
and that from the treaty ports. 50
long as they see that foreign opium is
allowed. to be imported they say. Why
is it that our government does not
protect our own home producers, bur,
on the contrary, eontiseates our
farmers lands, destroys their profits,
and often kills them in order to give
foreign merchants the monopoly to
enable them to get tremendous profits
from us ~
Our people, he proceeds, are in
deadly earnest to get rid of this evil.
No one in China who smokes opium
can vote or become a public official
They cannot help feeling resentmen.
against the country which is forcing
upon us the very article by which we
are degraded ana disgraeed. Such
conditions are, indeed, intelerabIe
when we reflect that We are sacrifie-
ing millions of revenue and hundreds
of lives. and struggling against enor-
nous difficulties. and that foreign
country forces us to receive the poi
son which We are so earnestly endeay-
oring to stamp out.
Further, | want to say just a word
as to the generosity for which the
British government claims credit. We
are thankful for what has been done,
but in the eyes of our people il is only
justice tardily rendered. A wrong
has been inflicted on us for many
years, and it is hard for our people to
realize the generosity when they only
see that wrong gradually given up
and are told that the hated foreign
drug is still to be forced upon them
for two or three years more. / have
striven To awaken the British govern
ment, but | have not yet succeeded.