The Topeka state journal., 1918-12-09
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM A TION
BUREA
FREDERIC J. HASK1N. Director
Wellington. d. C.
THE OPIUM MENACE.
Wilmington. d. C.

China or for the world. It does sig
nifty that China Is sincere in her pro-
testationS against the opium evil and
that the sentiment of the people in
strong enough to force a corrupt ofn-
cialdom to recognize its wishes.
China, whose life and progress have
SO long been hampered by the scarlet
poppy, is realizing the seriousness of
the national vice and has risen in re-
ing to betray its people for a sum of
money. For centuries the Chinese
people have struggled against the
opium evil. first against the institu-
ton of opium smoking. and later
when the vice had spread across the
empire, against its supremacy. To the
symbol-loving Chinese the ceremon-
ious burning of the opium. which SO
nearly caused their government to
break international pledges of faith,
is q sign that the national honor re-
mains untarnished and that a mighty
stumbling block has been removed
from their path. Their view of the
Importance of the destroyed opium is
not exaggerated.
The story of the 1900 chests of
opium did not start when\the drug
suddenly appeared in the hands of the
Chinese government last summer. 1t
is easily traced back ten years to the
day when Great Britain agreed to de-
crease gradually the vast amount of
opium being imported into China
from the Indian colonies, until at the
end OF ten years no more Indian
opium would be marketed in China
In return for this aid in overcoming
the national vice, China promised to
cease growing the poppy.
So important did China consider It
that her part of the bargain be kept
that heavy penalties were attached to
the growing of the poppy plant. In
deed, during the presidency of Yuan
for this breach of national faith. So
fairly did China keep to the terms that
England shortened the ten years set
for eradicating the importation OF
opium to seven years, to the extreme
gratitude Of the Chinese people. Dur.
ing this time China not only was rid
ding herself of the opium vice. but
was gaining the respect of other ma
tions who realized the enormous task
of breaking up a nation wide drug
habit.
Unfortunately, a great amount of
opium-120O chests-remained in
Shanghai after the agreement term
expired. This stock valued at $14,-
100000 was the property of a group
of Jewish merchants under British ju-
risdiction. 1t is said that a bribe> of
several million dollars was offered by
these merchants to the government for
longer time to sell out their stock. but
this offer the government uncondi-
tiona1ly refused.
For three or four years this opium
was kept stored away. Then the mer-
chants took advantage of the worlds
distraction in war, and political cha os
in China, intensified by corrupt gov
ernment officials. To these easily in
fluenced politicians the opium was Of
fered. and they. thinking it could be
sold at great profit, accepted it.
AS soon as the deal became known.
protests from all parts OF the country
were sent to the government, which
ignored them and concluded the con-
tract. When word reached the
United States and Great Britain, notes
the Chinese government retract. AT
first, the government remained firm
in its decision. stating that the drug
was to be used for medicine, an ex-
PLANTATION which was everywhere dis
counted as a flimsy excuse to cover
| ernment officials. But later, protests
of the United States, Great Britain,
and DIR. Wellington Koo, the Chinese
ambassador to the United States, add
ed to the increasing volume of the
popular cry that the opium should be
destroyed. finally forced the govern
| ment to issue a mandate that the
chests of opium be burned at a loss
of $14,000,O0O to itself. The event
was celebrated with parades and q
three-day holiday, while the trouble
some opium was examined by relia-
| BILE witnesses to avoid trickery and
publicly burned in great furnaces.
China as a nation has suffered most
from the opium evil. but the effects
felt in every nation. The United
States governments protest against
| the Shanghai opium deal had appar-
| emily little connection with the life OF
| the American people. yet that same
opium spreading thruout China and
to other nearby countries would have
seriously affected the soldiers of oul
army. As it is, the lack of domestic
| legislation in countries such as Grea'
Britain, France and Russia, restrict
ing the sale and use of drugs. is hav'
| ing disastrous effects upon the armies
in Europe and Asia. In France and
England, in Tientsin and Vladivostok
| wherever troops are gathered, the
menace has arisen.
| In our country there is the Harrison
| act to protect the people of the United
States from the danger of the drug
habit. It is significant fact that the
| Harrison act lacks power because OF
concessions demanded and carried by
drug interests in this country. The
| late DR.. Hamilton Wright, who wa.
the leading spirit in the opium cam
paign both at home and abroad, ani
| who represented the United States a
the various conferences, urged tina
the bill be passed on the grounds tina
any bill>was better than no legislatio
at all, and that the act could later bt
amended. This position was alst
taken by congress and the bill be
came a law. Now an amendment t,
make drug restriction more stringen
is before congress and, it is general,
believed, will soon be passed.
Domestic legislation against the us,
of opium in the United States is due t,
the ratification of the Hague conven
ton Of 1912. The last of a number O
international conferences was held a
the Hague in 1914, just a month be
fore war broke out. In the excite
ment of war, anti-drug issues wer,
forgotten, and only five NATIONS rati
fled the agreement to suppress opium
traffic. in their respective lands b,