The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-07-26
WAR is w ED
ON OPIUM NO w
Smugglers of Ii Are Even Put
to Death in Chinese
Republic.

chowfu, the capital Of Kansu province
Z comes the report of a man named HSi
who was arrested last February villa
I two collins in his possession contain
ing the remains of near relatives
around which were packed four thot-
sand ounces of opium which ne was
taking with the corpses into Sha.nsl-
/ It is the Gus. ON of the Chinese 20 take
their dead IN huge wooden cottins
back to the place OF their birth.
The prisoner was tried and sem
fenced to ten years Imprisonment
The case then was referred to the
central government in Picking. and
the man was sentenced 10 death. The
execution has just taken place. the
I prisoner being shot instead of decap-
itated, 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 dras-
tic measure which the government IS
able to ENFORCE In spite OF the dfsor@
;ganization it IS experiencing as a re-
I suit OF the revolution, Reports tell
frequently of lighting between farm
ers who have formed bands and
armed themselves with the object of
successfully harvesting a crop Of Opt
UNI. SOMETIMES the reports tell of
christians being .nade special objects
4 of attack and even murder because
/ they oppose the growing of poppy
The rhle or keeping hands Off the
missionary and his property, however.
I is still generally observed. as 1t was
Throughout the revolution.
i Other reports tell OF prnclamations
! threa tening death for third offense
in selling or smoking opium. sun
j Others tel. of great stocks OF the drug
! being burned amidst festival ccde1
7 brations. Some $4,000 worth OF CON
iffscuted opium went up in smoke In
sTtentsin few weeks ago. while bands
played and people drang tea and lis
tened TO speeches telling OF the harm
opium had done the Chinese. 1t Is
I believed by foreigners and Chinese
alike that such drastic measure would
! not be possible at this period Of re-
Econstructlon IL the feeling or ithc ma,
/ tinn, were not in favor or the reform.
The restric ton Of the importa tion
( and growth has caused the value Of
opium in China to be enormously en-
! HANGED. Those who persist in using u
must now DO so not only in secret but
at prices which only the rich can al
! ford. 1t Is now said to be beyond the
reach of the poor man, selling rs u
does for many times what 1t cost be-
fore the suppression began. In con-
sequence there are great inducements
to carry on the grade iIlicitly. and
much smuggling and growing in re-
mote hill countries Is attempted
The cleverness OF the Chinese police
in discovering smuggling shipment Is
shown by the instance given above of
the big burning at Tientsi1. But IN
the country they are mot always 50
clever. and many reports OF fields Of
growing poppy come TO governm ent
notice directly or Indirectly through
foreign missionaries and their con-
verts.
An American missionary. q. W..
Thwing, representing the Information
al Reform Burton. which has it's head
quarters at Washington, has been de-
voting practically all his time for a
number or years to the suppression Of
the opium habit. He has been leading
the campaign for the Chinese where
it came in conflict with foreign ers,
and as a result, he has ecquired'
many enemies among those foreignersl
Interested in the continuance 81 the
trade. living has shown the Chinese
how to organize anti-opium societies
and,how to deal legally and to the best
! a diva fftags with the white men in the
i.bustness, who areSsubject to no Chs
nese laws hut only to the Jurisdiction
Of their owns consular courts.
Thwing recently stated in \ public
speechFin Shanghai that. while CHI
nese officials and people have sup!
pressed tho greater part of the traffic.
throughout the country, and stamped
II out altogether in some provincesi
the foreign quarter Of Shanghai was
licensing more opium shops each year
The suppression in what IS known ~
che Native. City had forced the opium
traders and the smokers into the ior-I
eiSn settlements controlled by the
foreign consuls subject to the orders.
Of their governments. This. IhWins
contends. is contrary to the HaSua
l0pium convention, where all the M
7 ,erested powers agreed to reduce Inc
number Of opium shops IN the Shinese
Il territories controlled by them IN pro-
norton 10 the reduction made by inc
/, Chinese government.
I Comment is frequently made on the
fact that two OF the foremost .AmeTieaR
interests in China. the sale Of cisar-
tettes and the propagation OF Christi
4 an.ty. seriously. conflict. Agents Of
4 American and British missionary 9oci-
4 eties distribute bibles and agents q
4 IRE Brit'sh-American Tobacco Com
,anv. which controls the sale IF ciser-
ettes in china. both penetrate to the
/ Far interior. In some remote htt!e
towns in the provinces bordering