To the Editor of the "Nonra-Onrxa Datty News."
Sm,—Alpha" raises an interesting point in your to-day's issue regarding the opium traffic being legalized by treaty on which the trade either stands or falls.
The prot and cent are so many that both sides can continue the debate to their hearts content and yet without result accruing to either. However, I ave before me s copy of the "North China Herald" of last year and on page 969, we read thus:—
"The Waichiaopu has informed the Nsiam Prohibition Union that the replying to the Waichisopu, says that as the Hague some time in June this year the Hague Agreement was ratified and yet the Shanghai Municipal Council peremptorily refuse to take note of the ratification in question and summarily close the opium shops in Shanghai, as was promised by the British Legation to the Waichiaopa. Surely both these Governmenta were aware of the Treaty referred to by "Alpha" and yet this has not been a powerful factor for the British Legation in Peking to pledge itself to carry out the necessary reform.
There is therefore no need to be-labour the point touched so adroitly by "Alpha" since further comments are useless, Thanking you in anticipation for publishing my second letter in your journal and enclosing my card. Tam, etc, Shanghai, Dec. 21.
To the Editor of the "Norra-Cuina Dairy News."
Srr,—You are to be congratulated for devoting so much space for the ventilation of the Opium Question now looming so large on the horizon in view of the fixed and final determination of China and her friends, including the British Legation in Peking, to summarily close the opium licensed shops in Shanghai, in conformity with the ratification of the Treaty in Hague in June of this year.
Your reply "brief" as you call it, is again one-sided for in it you seek to justify the position of the merchants at the expense of sad-dung our poor nation with the loss of over Tls. 40,000,000 to be sunk in the consumption of poison now in the hands of the former.
From the trend of your criticism it would appear as if the Treaty was made with the Shanghai Municipal Council, since over-riding it were it to fall in with
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.