I have just read in a Shanghai paper a report on the Shanghai Informal Conference on the control of narcotic drugs in China, and fam grieved beyond measure to Fealize that even such a world-
Hwide problem cannot be considered at a conference without dragging} in this ever-prevalent anti-foreign bias on the one hand, and jumping into figures without adequate knowledge on the other.
Dr. Alfred Sze attempted to sweep the floor of the last Geneva Conference with the International, Anti-Opium Association by asserting (according to the printed report of the Conference) that we might deceive all the world part of the time, but not all the world all the time'ete. This was because our Association ventured to state that the opium cultivation in Ohina in, the 1924-25 season was about hai of thats cultivated in 1905 before prohibition. Dr. Sz0 could not re. fute the statement but, out of rexpect to his feelings, we have for the last two years been content to compile our review of opium cultivation in every province in China as far as we can obtain it from foreign sources, and leave the estimated total quantity to others. Of course definite figures in tons attract attention in press headines, but they require substantial tion.
What we have abandoned, Dr. Wu Lien-teh continues in the much more difficult field of narcotic drugs, for he stated at this informal Conference in Shanghai that 1923 25 tons of morphia and were imported into China and in 1925 not less than 30 tons."
Smuggled Not Imported Now let us clear the issue. In the first place the amount of ni cetic druge imported into China the trifling quantity used for unate medical purposes, all th: rest is smuggled in, not imported. In the second pla and speakers should tween the words opium and narcoties. True opium is a narcotic and the one from which all the narcotic drugs used in China are made, but to mix up the terms is very confusing. The League of Nations had "an Opium Conference at Geneva in 1924 and later a Nai ties, or Narcotic Drugs Conference in 1925. As an illustration of this confusion Dr. Wu states that "Japan, the Straits Settlements and Java are interested in the revenues derived from narcotics." Japan certainly produces heroin and morphia in large quantities, and Java exports coca leaves from which cocame is manufactured, but surely the Straits Settlements is only gu ty of smoking opium, and has nothing whatever to do with narcotics, Jaccording to the long-used differen-fon of terms.
Now as to Dr, Wu's estimate of 30 tons of morphia and heroin [smuggled (not imported) into Chi in 1925, How does he come by this figure? All the evidence at my disposal does not suggest an increased narcotic supply, but a slightly decreasing one, specially in the last two years during which Chinese opium has become so plentiful and every restraint removed. I. a¢ the amount of narcotics used in China is still tens of times greater than the requirements of legitimate use, but judging by Customs: seizures, and the world's produetion, the amount ought to be less.
The World's Supply Examined According to the League of Na-ions statistics in 1921 before the introduction of tae certificate system of importation of opium and nar-ceties, the entire world output of morphia and heroin amounted to decreased opium cultivation in Turkey and since that period, it would mable to conclude that moi phia and heroin manufacture has also decreased, for these are two sources of opium from which narcotic drugs are made, and further the. certificate control, whilst not. seithout its loopholes, has certainly lessened production and. transport. However, even if production has remained stationary
in 1925, it left less than 8,000 Ibs: for the rest of the entire world, either for legitimate or illegitimate use. Now either the League's statistics are wrong, and much more is being manufactured surreptiti ously and not entered by manufacturing countries in their returns, or the 30 tons requires modification. The Maritime Customs seizures of narcotic drugs and cocaine in 1923, amounted to 38,304 ozs, and in 1925, 18,416 ozs. Even if this amount were multiplied by the customary ten, it is then a long way short of ithe' more than a million ounces represented by 30 tons, Mr. K. T. Chung's Style We know that the Customs izures represent only a fraction lof the undetected quantity used and I don't want to mitigate the evil; for had the Informal Conferlence given as much daylight to the cultivation of opium in China, as they have to the foreign narcotic drug supply, I should have let the whole matter alan Overstatement with genuine reform intentions may be pardoned, but when used to bolster up anti-foreign bias is unwise.
This anti-foreign aspect is part.
ularly manifested in the speech of Rev. K. T. Chang at the same Conference. He docs the Intertional Anti-Opium Association the honour of quoting report on narcotic drug 1925 and states truly that these drags came from Japan, Holland, Germany, Belgium and France, Had he stopped at this, he would: have been considerate, but he then. adds on his own inspiration "Great Britain stands high in the importa, tion of Caffeine and Stryehnine drugs which are used in making the so-called anti-opium pills,"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.