Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-05-26
Continued From Third Page.)

NOD'AOAAidS0 4Ol1i Iii d&c.D
often made by monopoly advocates)
can be readily identified, and hence
plucked out at its source. A field of
peoples in China has only one mean
ing-opium, which cannot be produced
from any other plant, grain or ma
glclan's hat. 1t would be impossible
for single poppy field to reach ma
turity in Kuomntang, China, without
the consent of responsible officials.
Yet millions of acres of land were
under cultivation for the opium indus
try, and 1t became obvious that gov
eminent officials were not only taxing
this vice as an important source of
revenue, but in many cases were doing
: everything possible to stimulate pro-
ouct1on-peasants were compelled to
plant the poppy, bright inducements
were offered to opium users. Govern
= ment gunboats were actually engaged
in transport of the drug. In the name
OF National Opium Suppression" an
immense understructure was being
- built to support a monopoly.
Huang Sounds Warning.
Chinese were warned of this repeat
edly by Garfield Huang, courageous
a.. secretary general of the National Anti
Opium Association, which has now
been muzzled by Chang Kai-shek's
cetlsors. Huang made striking
, declarations to the nation. Opium
. monopolistS, he revealed, were eStab-
fishing organizations in all districts,
working with the full consent of local
and national authorities. Soon these
separate units would be united under
central military control, with revenues
going directly to the warrior chiefs.
THE government authorities" he
warned, and the so-called Central
Opium Suppression Committee are
aiming to create a pure government
monopoly in the shortest possible time.
Indeed, it is already established; what
remains is merely the Capitalization
of control. and formal notification to
the Chinese people. ."
Garfield Huang, who probably knows
more about the inner working of the
opium machine in China than any
outsider. made a remarkable forecast
of precisely what happened in 1884.
Early last year a secret order was
issued, establishing direct management
of the opium traffic Under Chang
Kai-shek's National Military Affairs
Commission. Poppy cultivation, opium
production and distribution were to be
controlled" by various provincial
headquarters, with a share of all
revenues going directly to the general
staff.
This marked the formal establish
ment of what is in fact q national
military opium monopoly.
The monopoly, from its very start.
was christened as an "anti-opium"
drive. And this was not forgotten
when the mask was removed. 1mme-.
dfately nation wide campaign against
narcotics flashed, rocket-like, against
the horizon, to forestall public pro-
tests. More accurately, it was to be
fuddle public understanding, for with
a vast corps of censors dominating
every instrument of popular express
sion in China (as severe as in Nazi
Germany or Fascist Italy,, direct crit
icism of Chang Kai-Shek and his
acolytes had become impossible.
~ New Regulations Adopted.
First of all, a drastic set of new
"six-year opium control regulations
was adopted-fully as drastic. in fact,
as the forgotten opium prohibition"
laws which, paradoxically. remain un-
repealed. At the very time that the