Indigenous or International? in 1929 and we sincerely hope those Inations concerned in the production and manufacture of narcotic drugs will take definite action to limit tha supply to medical and scientific needs.
Neither is the question of opium, entirely "indigenous. China has Produced a large amount of opium it true, But there is another Bide to the question. Every year a large amount of opium comes to Ching from foreign sources. In 1928 the Customs seizures amounted to ten tons and one pound. It is safe to [estimate that the amount not detected would be ten times the amount seized, This would make the total amount of illegally imported opium lover 100 tons. It is hard to estimate the amounts from different countries, the market in Shanghai there ig, Persian opium called. Hung Ta ALE Dand Indian opium, cated Dah "Ta (Kk) also, These can be easily Secured in opium shops in Shanghai. We published at one time the names of these thobs and we know they are still doing business. The Indian opium probably comes mainly from auction sale§ of opiam Int Calcutta, where there are about 250 chests auctioned every month. Of course the Government of India naturally does not hold itself rose vvons'ble as to where this opium good and quite a proportion comes China without a doubt, The opium problem if a serious one to the Chinese Yeople, in China and in other parts of the Far East. In the South Sea Istands the great rubber, coffee and tea plantations and tin mines in the colonies of Bue open nationg depend mostly upon Chinete coolie labour, and the opiuea monopoly policy of the governments in some of these colonies ix a detrle To the Editor of the Nonrit-Cha Datty News"
Sm—During the last few days! some attention has been given in the newspapers to the statements of Mr. Chu Chaa-hsin, the Chinese re-preventative on the League of! Nations Advisory Committee on Opiam, and Sir Malcolm Delevigne'g remarks, I am quite in sympathy] With some of the remarks made by the editor of the "North China Daily News" on June 5, but I feel that there are some angles to the situ tion which are generally lost sight jof by the public, and with your permission T should like to mention Rome of these.
I believe the particular incident) mentioned above concerned a shisiment of manufactured drugs—morphine and heroin—from Germany. While I do nat for a moment condone the act of the Chinese Government releasing this shipment, as told in the news despatches, is it not Reasonable to infer that so long as there is an over-production of these drugs beyond the medical and acienneeds of the world—so Tong as the nations who are concerned in the production do not seek to limit the cutput,—just so long will there be abuse, instead of rightful use, of these drugs. During the first three months of this year, ending with March, the Customs seizures in China of morphine, heroin and [cocaine from foreign sources. (Japan and Europe) have amounted to 8,533 ounces. This amount ig more than two-thirds of the total customs seizures of these drugs for the whole year 1925. ment to the health and happiness of these Chinese people. It has been estimated that fully 80 per cent, of thee coolies become addicted to the drug after arriving in those parts, The revenue derived from the opium monopoly in the Straits Settlement 1922 Was $14,730,724, which wax 42.9 per cent. of the total revenue fof the Settlement, and this portion of the reventie was mostly paid by, these poor-Chinese Iabourers. The British delegate at the Geneva Cone ference plated that without opium the South Sea Islands would always suffer from lack of labourers. in a fact that the Chinese Inbourera always want to return home whom they have accumulated some money. Bat when they smoke opium (and Jother vices are added) they do not accumulate enough money to return home. It gems to us clear that although the opium question does deeply concern the Chinese people, Perhaps more than any other race, this problem of China is not only indigenous but international also.
We welcome the new policy of the Indian government as outlined in Lord Reading's announcement, with joy. To limit the export of Indian opium to medical needs is one of the miogt important means of solving th opium problem of the Far Bast. We hope the Legislature will take definite action at an carly date, We congratulate the Indian government in trying to take the lead in this matter.
There is another item which has ed lately which I should to correct. Tt has been stated attack At the Geneva Conference on [Opium in 1924-25 America and China Pleaded for the limitation of production and manufacture to medical and scientific needs of the world, but action was deferred on. the ground that it depended upon China's ability to Suppress opium within her own borders. The result thas been that the production and manufacture of morphine and other narcotic drugs outside China have increased and these have sought a market in the Far East, especially in Ching.. Thus China has a very complex and difficult problem in: the misleading, as everyone knows that the Province of Shansi is free of opium planting. General Yen Shih-shan is one of the ardent supporters of the anti-opium movement and there are 103 branch associations in that province helping the Provincial Government to enforce the law in regard to opium planting and smoke ing. Their problem in Shansi is the Problem of morphine pills which fare entirely imported from foreign countries. What the purpose of th kuominchun is in attacking: Shansi is- not for us to say, - but we are
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.