The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-01-23
Simms Calls John Bull
Modern DR.. JekyI and
Mr.. HYDE.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP sIMMs

Ill tween England and the
49, United States over the opium
traffic serves to turn the spotlight
on John Bull in his least enviable
role-that of an international Jekyl
and Hyde.
The flat refusal of Viscount Cecil
British delegate to the International
Opium Conference, even to consider
the American proposal by
Stephen G. Porter to bring the
drugging of the Far East to a
| gradual end over a period Of ten
| years-sounds unaccountable and
unbelievable save to those familiar
with John Bulls Jekyl-Hyde history.
Cultured apd enlightened to the
limit in most things, when John
gets away from home and mixes in
trade and the exploitation Of native
populations, he turns from likable
DR. Jelxyl into most unprepos-
sessing Mr.. Hyde.
Most people. for instance, blame
China for the opium evil The shoe
is on the other foot Europe, mainly
England, is to blame. The poppy
had been known to China for twelve
centuries and used in medicine for
nine centuries before anybody ever
thought of smoking it. Then the
idea came from Europeans trading
in Formosa in the seventeenth cen
fury.
Opium Is BoOtIegged
In the eighteenth century EN-
peror Yung Ching tried to stop the
STUFF being brought in by the Brit
ish, Portuguese and Dutch, but, like
booze into the United States, it was
bootlegged across her borders and
past shores in immense quantities
despite his edict.
In 1889, by which time the British
in India were the chief purveyors
Of opium to the Chinese, a powerful
Cantonese official named Lin OBJ
jected to the presence of an opium
row." or fleet Nof drug-laden British
ships, off Canton and appealed to
John Bull to dispense it. John Bull
Mr.. Hyde-did nothing. Where
upon Lin seized the cargoes-20, 900
chests--and destroyed them.
Which brought on a war with
England-the opium war" Eng
land licked China of course, annex
ing Hong Kong, levied a big indem-
nifty and made Canton, Annoy, Foo
chow, Ningpo and Shanghai treaty
ports" which had to take British
opium and whatever else was
brought to, whether the Chinese
liked it or not
In 1907. however, Britain agreed
that to the degree China quit cul-
tiyating opium--for by this time
China had made a home industry
of it--she would taper off bringing
it in from India. And to the world s
establishment. China put a stop to
poppy growing.
Poppy Growing Encouraged
But not for long. Since the revo-
luton of 1912 the country has been
| in the hands Of corrupt politicians
and bandits. and in some of the
provinces growing the drug is en-
couraged. So China today is back
where she was in 1907. Opium is
coming in from India and elsewhere,
not only as opium, but in the form
OF morphine and the other deriva-
tons.
In 1922 India produced 1850 tons
of opium. The British make a gov
eminent monopoly of it, licensing
the whole business, from the poppy
fields to the 6.400 retail shops scat
tered throughout India.
| Turkey came second, according to
the latest available figures. but a
poor second. with only $40 tons, and
Persia third. with 1852 tons. What
China produces is an unknown guam
tity.
Sales in India from 1917 to 1922,
inclusive, amounted to 4,7s0 tons,
and, in addition, some 3,546 tons
were exported.
Holland buys considerable opium
from Britain to sell to the natives
Of the Dutch Indies. principally
Java, Sumatra and Borneo.
In British North Borneo nearly
half the revenue comes from hcens-
ing opium, gambling and pawnbrok-
ling shops-a trio which would seem
to go together well.
The opium menace now threatens
the United States. The same ships
that smuggle rum can just as easily,
and more proflta'bly, smuggie mar
cotic drdgs; and the same bootleg
gers. often in cahoots with corrupt
officials, can as easily distribute it.
Which is why the British press
claim more opium per capita is sold
to Americans than is SOLD to the
people OF India-as' was claimed by
| viscount Cecil and disputed by Rep
resentative Porter Official figures
| in this country to the contrary not
l rial, 80 a ~ Hfxo