The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-02-07
INDUSTRY TAKES PLACE OF OPIUM
 TRADE IN CHINA
Isolated Province of F1oWery Kingdom Now Looks Like Section of New
 England.
6The Associated Press.0

Anov China Feb 7-With the de- yelopment of civilization along West ern lines the isolated province of Flu kien is rapidly undergoing important changes. It may soon be imagined that a chunk has been taken out of New England or some other farming region of the United States and laid down ins China for there are increas- ing evidences that fields once wholly devoted to the poppy will be turned over to patotoes and corn
 Progress has put it's foot down on the opium business. Outside of Chi na there are probably few persons who realize how great a blow this ac- ton has dealt at means of susten- ance to a province whose resources were already ,overtaxed to maintain its crowdede population Opium has always brought a good price in local mark cts and form ed an i'm portant source Of the farmers revenue.A It is small wonder that campaigns against the drug have met with armed resist ance.
 Sporadic and reckless destruction of fulI-grown crops came last year with such a suddenness that farmers were not conscious that the govern ment was in earnest until they saw their entire seasons work lost. This year a new method is to be tried In stead of waiting until the plants are grown and then destroying the crop the government has served notice that all opium plants will be destroyed as sooneas they appear in the field. In many instances the summary destruc- ton of the. crop last year caused riot. and blopdshed, but the notices this year seem to be convincing farmers that the government means business. ana the destruction of the young plants already underway has not caus- ed the strife which resulted last year. The snew policy Is meeting with the. approval of the farmers, and once they see that they must give up the poppy they are turning to indigo, po- tatoes and corn.
 Another change little less tangi- bIe, but none the less marked, is the new spirit of freedom During the revolution Fukienese men and money were not lacking to do the provinces Manchu government Buts that ac-s cornp1ished. trusting that clean gov ernment would be organized by the 1patriots'' who were clamoring for control, the people of F'ukien settled down to business, and the general de- sire has been for peace and quiet.
 There are always lawless bands wandering about the country back of Annoy and Foochow- Their numbers vary with local conditions, an unfa- vorabIe crop reducing the country people almost to starvation and aug menting the number of outlaws It was such band which recently pill laged a village near Chao-an in the southern part of the province, and was reported to have destroyed the Amer ican mission chapel there. While the mission chapel was uhharmed. the pi1Iaging Illustrates the difficulties with which the local popuiace must contend. In the Hfngwhwa district about 80 miles from Foochow, the city of Tehwa has been the scene of fresh disturbances and, for the time being. no foreigners are allowed to travel there
 The fact that Fukien is practicalIy isolated from it's neighboring provfn- ces.s shut in by high mountain ranges and, dependent upon coolies and pack animals for transport to the interior, has driven the .Fukienese to the sea The island of Formosa lying directly opposite the province was colonized by F'ukienese seafarers long ago, the success of which enterprise has en- couraged the. merchants to extend their zone Of operations until the southern. coast of Asia as far as the Malay peninsula, and most of the I southern islands are now dotted with Fukienese colonies.