(This, the first of a series of special articles' on the narcotic evil in Shang-hal, describes actual visits to an o} den anda heroin den 18 Chines Fitory. "Ail the information was obtain at first hand im elroumatances necess-Grily nvotving special "difficulties and danger).
'The first place visited is far from foreign haunts although but a few minutes' walk from the Settlement boundary. The smooth pavement of Settlement road gives way to the cobblestones of Chapel, greasily wet the rain, The guide of the evenning speaks glibly about Chinese sttest life—and smells—and, sudden, we are there, cigarette shop provides the innocent-looking front for one of Shanghai's larger opium "dens." Foreigners have visited the place before—the writer of these lines. Is "just off a ship"—and so no suspicion aroused and a natural curiosity [satisfied with a few words in Chinese.
There is a Government licence on the wall of the first room we enter, but that, naturally, is not the frst observation made. 'The smokers, of whom there are five, have frst call fon one's attention, Four of them fare young men of the middle class and show little outward sign of being under the influence "of the drug. They chat gaily with each other in' the intervals. between indulgence. The Afth man is middle-aged and lies stretched out on his bunk in a semi-coma. His features }do not indicate the nature of his, dreams, if any, but he has plainly had several pipes. As the price of teach is 50 cents, he Is a fairly well-to-do man, and his dress. confirms this belief. One of the young men starts on another "pill." being careful not to let the amp ignite the sticky substance, He draws the [smoke vigorously in short puffs, then "drinks from. the spout of a small pot containing te As he lies back he resumes conversa: lon with the others, with oriental animation. The scene Is composed, and there is an air of cheerfulness bout the room which -makes one recall W. Somerset Maugham's oplum= den in "On a Chinese Screen" Out-[side the rain falls, monotonously.
It is nearly 10 o'clock and getting toward closing time—the hours are strictly observed in a licensed place Jand so we leave after just a look into another, similar room on the same floor. Two men are lying on the mats; one is smoking. Like the rst room this is fairly" neat and clean, well-lighted and radiates a certain spirit of comfort and cheer, One look round is sufficient and out into the night we go, the faint, sweetish odour of opium smoke still in our nostrils.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.