Time is running out and China must render an account to the nations of the world at the forthcoming Opium Conference of her Tamnentable opium recrudescence. The time is too short to allot Blame, The world knows that the disruption in the South and West together with the maintenance enormous armies in all parts of China is responsible for four-fifths of the present traffic. The world equally knows well that the anti-opium battle which culminated in total victory in 1915 has to be fought over again harder conditions. The fact is that it is a "fight" not a comedy show, re~ quires definite and energetic action, The opposition is prodigious and is both personal and official. Not only are Civil and Military Governors determined to maintain opium taxes and consequently cultivation, but that daily the opium habit is fastening itself upon thousands. Many provinees in 1922 and 1929 grew such an opium surplus for which markets gould not be found, that the people have taken up the habit owing to the cheapness of the product. From all parts of China come reports of the freedom and openness of opium smoking. People smoke railway carriages, on river steamers, in restaurants, and in the houses and—yamet officials and gentry without the Toast attempt "at secrecy. The trafic is officially licensed, smoking dons_and opium sale shops exist side by side with shops and stalls for the sale of food and household commodities, and officials of many different grades cannot be seen during opium smoking hours, or until midday. In fact. travellers find it dificult to realize that the general and open use of opium is contrary to the law of the Innd oF prohibited by the most severe legal penalties
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.