Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-22

Washington, d. c.. Aug. 1e:-Wheth-
er, as some claim, there has been d re-
cent marked increase in the lhclt con-
sumption Of opium and other napi..
forming drugs, the fact remains tnat
not since the middle sos has there
been SO much agitation against the con
traband traffic in narcotics as there If
at present. The American newspapers
are continually printing stories deailns
with the evil in this country. In op-
ponents of prohibition aver that tne
alarming growth in the number or drug
fiends is but the inevitable result OF the
dry amendment and the Volstead law
But the commotion is by no means con
fined to the United States. The League
of Nations has undertaken a world
wide crusade against the drug traffic:
and it ia said that the recent note OF
the league, which the state depart
ment felt it polite not to answer
asked for the statistics OF drug con-
sumption in this country.
In the work of suppression, the
United States nevertheless is dong its
share; and this share consists prln-
cipally in making it difficult to BRING
narcotics into the United states except
for their legitimate uses. Ihe customs
service at the ports and along the por-
ders is only the final battlement Which
the dope %smuggler has to scale; Many
and devious are his methods or escap-
ing the vigilance of the customs Off
GERS. Not long ago a high official or
the government. returning from the
orient. was the innocent accompllce OF
an opium runner. The officials bag
gage was by courtesy exempt from GUS
toms inspection. His trusted servant
was aware of this fact and loaded the
immune baggage with opium. Not until
this man began to peddle dope was ne
caught and his clever scheme dlscoV-
cred.
Yet long before the opium runner
reaches the edge of the United States,
he has had to run another gaun1iet
and one which often entraps him. This
barrier is that laid by the American
! c~onsuls in those parts Of the eartn
where opium and other drugs are pro-
duced. The consul is Uncle Sam s man
of all work in foreign lands. He is not
so decorative as an ambassador or mn
lister; but, taking him 365 days IN the
| year, he is much more useful. he vlsas
| the passports of aliens seeking to enter
| the United States, keeps his eyes open
for opportunities for American trade:
looks after American shipping, n
every now and her digs down into his
| pocket for the relief Of some STRANDED
| American tourist.
Feats Of Consul Adams
Besides these, one of the chief duties
| of our consults in China is to aid IN
| the prevention of the contraband drug
traffic across the Pacific. Since 1887
it has been a crime to smuggle opium
either into China or into the United
States: and since 1887. but never more
so than at present, the opium runner
has been a cross for every American
| consul along the Chinese coast to bear.
| Recently the attention of the consular
! service has been directed to the sue
| cess of Vice Consul Walter A. Adams
in China in breaking up two wholesale
| attempts to traffic in opium on a large
scale.
! Consul Adams attention was first
| directed to the fact that in the Chinese
section of Changsa, where he was sta
| toned. there was q native hotel dis
! playing a sign in Chinese that 1t was
! an American owned institution n
under the protection of the American
flag. China is peculiar in that by
treaty with that country all American
owned or American occupied property
therein, no matter where located, is
| subject not to the jurisdiction OF the
government of China. but to that of
the United States. Our government
maintains a federal court in Shanghai
| which has jurisdiction over all Ameri-
cans and their property in China. Con
sequently, any establishment which the
Chinese authorities had reason to
think was owned by Americans would
not be molested by them.
II was news to Consul Adams, how
| ever. that any hotel in Changsa was
owned by Americans. He made a sur
| prise visit to the place and bore away
the sign. together with evidence that
opium was being sold on the premises
under the alleged protection OF the
American flag. Then, in cooperation
| with the native police, he broke up
several similar establishments. all OF
| them claiming American ownership.
den in which the drug was being smoked
by addicts. This place actually flew
the American flag on its Flagstaff.
Adams followed this with another
coup which just about broke up the
opium traffic in Changsa. Learning
that a certain American agency there,
then in charge of a Chinese superin-
tendent, had received a large quantity
of opium. he enlisted the support OF
the native police and raided the estab-
lishment, discovering a secret room
in which was stored nearly a ton Of
the drug, worth at retail sale q fan
tastic amount Of money. The consul
seized this and stored it at the con-
sulate. 1t was then his duty to turn
it over to the Chinese government; but
civil war was in progress, and he
could not determine which faction
should be regarded as the government.
He soon received anonymous threats
Of death, and appealed to the COM
mander of the American gunboat in
the harbor, who sent a guard OF blue
jackets to the consulate to protect the
opium and Consul Adams, too Sew
eral months later order was restored
at Changsa, and the consul turned
over the precious ~contrabrand to the
government in power. The opium was
then publicly burned.
How China Got Opium
While Americans usually associate
opium with China, that is not the place
where the drug originated nor the place
whence the greater part of the
| crescent supply in this country. The
Caesars of Rome knew opium as n
medicine. The white poppy, from whose
seeds it comes. was first grown in
Asia Minor. and that district today is