In view of the efforts of the National Anti-Opium Association, the following message sent by the Assdciation to the Judicial Commis-Sioners to the Extraterritoriality should be read with interest:—
Opium has been the cause of the weakness of China and the continuation of civil warfare. It is not easy to suppress it entirely, The militarists in the provinees have either accorded protection to the dealers in this unlawful line of business or they have compelled the farmers to cultivate poppy despite the strictness of the law. In Addition, extraterritoriality "has obstructed the suppression of the poisonous drug, Fortunately, the various Powers have, acting in aecordance with the decisions of the lington Conference, sent Com-
Fitoriality Conference i appreciate their object of this Association is to fight, the drug, but, judging by perience, we are of the opinion that the existence of extraterritoriality seriously affects the suppression work. The following, therefore, are our views:—
The privileges of extraterritoriality constitute a sort of permit to dishonest foreigners engaged in smuggling firearms and opium whilst honest foreign merchants do not care for these privileges:
As the transportation of opium from abroad to China "is. being undertaken by mercantile belonging to foreign Powers, difficult for the Chinese authorities to enforce opium prohibition so long extraterritoriality isnot abolished:
The punishment and fines inflicted on opium and morphine dealers by the foreign authorities in the foreign Settlements are very Ienie so that these places are regarded places for hospitality for those per-sani Foreign opium dealers occasions make use of Chinese opium smugglers to do business on their behalf and when it is discovered the foreigners afford protection to tome stonglers thas can jeulty to the Chinese In short, extraterritoriality has not only obstructed our judicial ministration but has also caused inconvenience to honest foreigners. The opium question affects the Chinese of our country. If the foreign commissioners ask—their respective governments to abolish the privileges of extraterritoriality the peace and unity of Chinese will follow immediately as a result. That is our sincere hope.
This statement is referred to to-day's Notes and Comments—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.