Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-29
NEW OPIUM SCHEME

Picking, July 29.-From Lanchowfu,
the report of a man named Hsi who
was arrested last February with two
collins in his possession containing |
the remains of near relatives, around |
which were packed 1000 ounces of |
opium which he was taking with the |
corpses into Shansi. 1t is the custom |
of the Chinese to take their dead in |
huge wooden collins back to the place |
of their birth.
The prisoner was tried and sentenc- |
ed to ten years Imprisonment. The |
case then was referred to the central
government in Picking, and the man
was sentenced to death. The execu-
ton has just taken place, the prisoner
being shot instead of decapitated, as
was the practice in the old days.
In connection with the suppression
of the use of opium news reaches Pc
king from time to time of some drastic
| measure which the government is
able to enforce in spite of the disor-
ganization it is experiencing as re-
| suit of the revolution. Reports tell
who have formed bands and armed
| themselves with the object of success
fully harvesting a crop of opium. Some
times the reports tell of Christians be-
| ing made special objects of attack and
even murder because they oppose the
| growing of the poppy. The rule of
keeping hands off the missionary and
his property, however, is still general
ly observed, as it was throughout the
revolution.
Other reports tell of proclamations
threatening death for a third otense
in selling or smoking opium. Still
others tell of great stocks of the drug
being burned amidst festival celebra-
tions. Some $4,000 worth of confis-
Gated opium went up in smoke in Tien-
tsin few weeks ago, while bands
played and people drank tea and lis
tened to speeches telling of the harm
opium had done the Chinese. 1t is be-
lieved by foreigners and Chinese alike
that such drastic measures would not
be possible at this period of recon-
struction if the feeling of the nation
were not in favor of the reform.
and growth has caused the value Of
opium in China to be enormously en-
HANGED. Those who persist in using 1t
must now do so not only in secret but
at prices which only the rich can af-
ford. 1t is now said to be beyond the
reach Of the poor man, selling as it
does for many times what it cost be-
fore the suppression began. In conse-
4 quence there are great inducements to
carry on the trade illicitly, and much
smuggling and growing in remote hill
countries is attempted.
The cleverness of the Chinese po-
lice in discovering smuggled ship
ments is shown by the instance given
above of the big burning at Tientsin.
But in the country they are not always
so clever, and many reports of fields
of growing poppy come to government
notice directly or indirectly through
foreign missionaries and their con-
verts.
An American missionary, E. w
Thwing. representing the international
Reform bureau, which has its head
quarters at Washington, has been de-
voting practically all his time for a
number of years to the suppression OF
the opium habit. He has been leading
the campaign for the Chinese where II
came in conflict with foreigners, and
as a result, he has acquired many enc
mics among those foreigners interest
ed in the continuance of the trade
Thwing has shown the Chinese how tc
organize anti-opium societies and how
to deal legally and to the best advan
tage with the white men in the bust
ness, who are subject to no Chinese
laws but only TO the jurisdiction o.
their own consular courts.
Thwing recently statce in public
speech in Shanghai that, while Chin
csc officials and people have suppress
ed the greater part Of the traffic
throughout the country, and stamped
it out altogether in some provinces
the foreign quarter of Shanghai was
licensing more opium shops eacf
year. The suppression in what il
known as the Native City has forced
the opium traders and the smoker:
l. INTO the foreign settlements controlled
6y the foreign consuls subject to the
/ orders OF their governments. This
S Thwing contends, is contrary to the
= Hague Opium convention, where al
/ the interested powers agreed TO reduce
the number Of opium shops in the