Mr. T. Z. Koo's Striki ing Speech at Geneva We have received a copy of a speech delivered before the Opium Conference in Genera by Mr. T. Z. Koo, Associate General Secretary of the Nerional Committee, BIN. C. A, of China. Mr. Koo has been lent for one year to among the students of Europe. His speech presents a fact not often. sufficiently Fecognized—that while opium is grown in China there is also growing " strong current of feeling against its use. Generally Speaking, the sincerity of Mr. Koo's speech and its earnest tone fare in welcome contrast with the platitudinous utterances of the official delegates.
Mr, President and Members of the Second Opium Conference, I wish to thank the Assembly for according me the privilege of Jaddressing it to-day. In doing 30 T labour under two serious handi teaps for which I ask your indus fence. First, Tam speaking in a Tnnguage which is not my own. Second, I have had, 110 diplomatic training and therefore can use only the plain language of the man on the "street. So please do not scrutinize too closely the letter and style of what I am going to say, but try and enter more into the spirit of my words.
I stand before you to-day as the representative of the National Anti-Opium Association of Chis This Association is formed by people's organizations. I shall not take your time to read through the whole list of these organizations.
Weate the character of the bod ing of a few will i the National Antimerce, the China Medical Association, The "Red Cross Society of China, Th@National Association for the Advancement of Education, The Overseas Chinese Union, The Nation al Council of Churches, The National Committees of the Y'M.C-A's and YW. Ca Avs of China, The Boy Scout Union, The World's Chinese The National Anti-Opium Associa. tion is formed to help our people in China and abroad to rid themselves of the course of opium and its allied drugs. To accomplish jis end we shall start work on the following lines:—1.—To suppress the planting, of opium in China, We have watched the return of the poppy fields in China with great concern. You fare all familiar with the cause of this return, If we are to wait until the political situation clears in our country to stop this plant ing we may have to wait for some time; but we do not propose to wait, We shall take each province by itself and assist the provincial authorities and, in certain cases, compel them to enforce the laws against poppy planting. © Through our branch associations we shall aspect the whole province during the time when poppy should be in bloom. In order to make this inspection an impartial one, the National Anti-Opium Association favour the invitation of persons of recognized standing of non-Chinese origin to be associated with our delegates when they undertake this annual inspection work, 'Through the pressure of public' opinion in China and abroad applied in this anner we feel we have reasonable ground for expecting to achieve our end in this first article in our Students' Federation, ete. programme,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.