opium To the Editor of the "Nonri-Ciina Datty News, Si,—Your editorial of February 17 on "Greater Shanghai and Opium" in which you suggested the starting of government monopoly on opium, was brilliant but very disappointing. I would have almost refrained from writing to you because of your clever statement—"There are too muy who have a vested interest in this rotten business, who stir up public opinion, who ery the loudest against any phu which might in the end effectively stop opium smuggling and perhaps smoking in Shanghai The plan has been cried down' by Chinese and by sentimentally minded foreigners, who often speak before they study the question and who still view China a backward nation requiring their paternalistic care"—if T had not the moral backbone which was given me by the very Chr'stian Bible which first came to China on the same boat which imported the opium, It in needless for me to say T have no "vested interest in. this yotten business," but T must say that T do not belong to that class of sentimentalists, either Chinese or foreign, Yet I'am not unaware men's moral consciences do get juenced by a vested interest in ome selfish enterprise, nor enn us by excepted. Let me rt, W. Harris, who is considered to be one Lritish Journalists, who wrote. in the "London Daily' News" concerning the failure of the opium ference in "in part because opium is a vested interest in certain regions of the British Empire."
Your argument in favour of an opium monopoly seems to be based en these two points, namely, that it" might effectively stop opium smuggling: and perhaps smoking in hi te the word. "per haps." Secondly, that it will realiz ferent source of revenue to the government. Now before making *tatement that it will positively not stop opium smuggling let_me ask: Was the success of opium sup-Fression during the last years of the Manchu regime not due to the! enforcement of the Suppression To put the question way: Did the Manchu Government" have to resort to ment monerals" i onder to pression? Let' me. also, ask tht Taw not. the American Government ceeded in stamping out the opium evil in the Philippines without your uguented. system of government monopoly? "Again: "Has. not the British Government been unauccesss ful in Hongkong and Singapore be. cure of that system?
Moreover, our contention that under the present chaotic conditions, while the government cannot ctr the growing traffic in opium, it will likewise fai even if should the adopt monopoly is our adopted, will not help to curtail but will most probably tend to increase the traffic, for surely there will be nuultitudes who will counterfeit the Jubels and licences to make the the appearance of Leing opium of the government mopely. It is then a foregone conclusion that we will have jereasing number of opium smokers to throng the greater Shanghai, not simply because smoking is made legitimate by the establishment of the monopoly. but also because (to quote your own words) "the monopoly would bring in the opium and sell it cheaply." From the practical standpoint "of view your plan of solution, then, is insoluble and would make the matter worse, Another point of your argument the alluring source of revenue which might yield to the government in control. But then defeat the very purpose you were salvocating for, namely, to remove From Shanghai the bone of temptation to "atony marshals and minders who might feel that it is safe to venture another try at possessing the place." It is not cur place to argue whether it might or might not realize a great source of revenue for the state here. But we have a right to say that social reform cannot be held back on fiscal grounds. What does it profit to gain the whole world out "a physicial and moral wreckage? Would it be good advice to realize new sources of income for the government and to develop moral quality in the people ray, "Keep the loopholes closed at alt hazards?
We must think of the state as duty bound to the principle of the greatest happiness to the greatest number. The true-statesman must be visionary enough to see the future clearly and to see opium as double form like that of the two-faced Janus. On the one side we see the brilliant money-god, on the other Beelzebub, head of our modern Inferno who must be cast out at all costs. From the point of view of political economy no state can afford its humanity to be warns Roman landowners against utilizing their high-priced slaves in malarial regions where they might die, From. the standpoint of humanity, human life, free or in bondage, is too valuable and high priced to be exploited for purposes of temporary financial gain. The cost of opium in human life fac exceeds that of war and the victims of opium do not die out. They drag miserably through a discased life and transmit their decay to following generations. We complain of the cost of militarism today but can we imagine the cost of opium when the illicit write is mae legitimate?
So much for your arguments. SUI there i wt the courage, high state of m forth, But opium weaken mines and kills that all, fan opium smoker ix gener different. He lucks the will to work and the initiative to push in eons, question, therefore, jon to all questions of pro:
The not of objects but of the amoking subjects. From this point of view the Anti-Opium Movement has its rent significance. Tt is not merely concern of individual welfare bu: of the progress of the human race to higher development and higher ideals, Again from a practical standpoint of view, bad as it is our difficult problem does not lie in opium trade lone, The solution of the problem lies not in the regulation of con-ruption but in the limitation of production, So long as opium produced in great quantities x0 lon, Will it be sold for smoking purposes. Output of the raw material is the vouree of the whole evil. Stoppage fat the source is the only cure. To limit the production to medical and scientific requirement will give exporters nothing to export and smugglers nothing to smuggle. is our strong conviction that the only fruitful effort in combating this evil is not the establishment of uny government monopoly, but rother the strictest enforcement of the law, the enlightenment of the people by educa ment of social con Tam, ete,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.