Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-12-10

! discounted as a fimsy excuse to cover the
mercenary intentions of the government Of
ficials. But later, protests of the United
States, Great Britain, and DR.. Wellington Koo,
the Chinese ambassad to the United States,
added to the increasing volume of the popu-
lar cry that the opium should be destroyed,
finally forced the government to issue man
date that the chests of opium be burned at q
loss of $14, 100000 to itself. The event was
celebrated with parades and three day holt
day, while the troublesome opium was ex-
amined by reliable witnesses to avoid trick
cry and publicly burned in great furnaces.
China as a nation has suffered most from
the opium evil, but the effects of the drug
have been and still are 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 spread
ing throughout China and to other nearby
countries would have seriously affected the
soldiers of our army. AS it is, the lack of
domestic legislation in countries such as
Great Britain, France and Russia, restrict
ing the sale and use Of drugs, Is having dis
astrous effects upon the armies in Europe and
Asia. In France and England, in Tientsin
and Vladivostok, wherever troops are gath
cred the menace has arisen.
In our own country t-ere is the Harrison
act to protect the people of the United States
from the danger of the drug habit. 1t 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 was the lead
ing spirit in the opium campaign both at
home and abroad, and who represented the
United States at the various conferences,
urged that the bill be passed on the grounds
that any bill was better than no legislation
at all, and that the act could later be amend
e This position was also taken by congress
and the bill became law. Now an amend
ment to make drug restrictions more string
ent is before congress and, it is generally be-
heved, will soon be passed
Domestic legislation against the use Of
opium in The United States is due to the rati-
fication of The Hague convention of 1912. The
last of number OF international conferences
was held at The Hague in 1914, just amonth
before war broke out. In the excitement of
war, anti-drug issues were forgotten, and
only five nations ratified the agreement to
suppress opium traffic in their respective
lands by means of law. The United States
was one of the five countries to sign the con-
vention, and the Harrison act was the first
step in keeping the pledge.
Now that war is becoming less absorbing
matter it is expected that other nations will
return to the matter of the drug evil. The
Importance of the question now is seen in
the fact that when the armies are demobilzed
they will be freed from protection and au-
thority against the use of drugs and alcohol.
The reaction which inevitably follows war
will, unless steps are taken to prevent, cause
these unstrung, unnerved soldiers to turn to
drugs and alcohol with disastrous results.
The United States has already urged the
powers of Europe to lose no time in ratifying
the convention and thus anticipate demobil-
ization and evils to follow. The protocol at
The Hague needs only the signatures of rep
resentatives of the governments to put the
convention into effect The signing, which
would indicate promise of immediate home
legislation, would avert the danger which
now threatens the world, namely the growth
and spread of the drug menace.