Dairen, Sept, 21.
Im Janguage delicately disguised but none the less unmistakable, Premier Chang of the Changehun regime has made it clear in a manifesto that he intended to head a drive which would purge the country of its opium and hnareotic habits. Ju this the Depart~ ments of Peace Preservation, Industry and Public Welfare and the monopoly bureaux, both central and local are to be mustered to do away with this droud practice, The Manchoukuo Premier says that evident that the passing of laws.
not sufMeient to halt this evil habit, and so he trustingly calls upon the people to stop of their own volition. XOpium and narcotics," he says, "are not only. suicidal to individuals but also menace the existence of the State, Where opium and narcotics are used there are also thieves and out Jaws, which makes the preservation peace and order a matter of ex treme dimicuity.
"When this. Government was formed it intended completely to suppress this dangerous habit and. Various laws and systems have been introduced but the practice appears to be 50 deep-rooted that it hasbeen brought home to the Government that a more effective and thorough-going manner Is needed to efface this evil.
ut is with this in mind that the Government hag decided to take more rigid measures to eliminate this awful practice and I hereby appeal to. all hot. to fall victim to the habit of taking opium or narcotics," he con cluded.
Gen, Kenkichi Veda, Commander of the Kwantung Army'and Japanese 'Ambassador to Changchun, issued a statement on the same day' announc {ing the readiness and willingness. li Japanese officials in' Manchoukuo to assist and support the campaign for abolishing opium and nareotles throughout the country. The ment fs interesting in that it sounds a warning note against flict trae in drugs by the Japanese and it goes as far as to say that severe punish mont will be meted out to all those found infringing the opium law. the Manchuria Cinema Ascociation. Negotiations for the formation were proceeding for some. time between Manchoukuo and Japan and the head office will open in Changehun soon.
'The new concern is to be capitalized at ¥.5,000,000 and it will be invested in by' the Manchoukuo Government and the South" Manchuria Railway, Company.
"The association's intentions are to produce its own pictures, import and export other firns and give education fo the masses, through the movie medium, of the' spirit which underlies the formation of Manchoukuo, At the time of this announcement Manchoukuo only was affected, meaning that the Kwantung Leased Territory would still be possible of, British Ship Stopped by Submarines Hongkong, Oct. 4.
'The s. Yuensang, which arrived here on Saturday' evening, was stopped twice by Japanese submarines on Saturday, once at and again at 1 pam. No parties were sent on board and enquiries were made by signals on both occasions after which the vessel was allowed to procesd—Reuter. penetration for foreign cinema com-anies but in every monopoly which Manchoukuo has yet introduced the Kwantung District government has, {followed suit so that proper collabora ation between the two could be car 'This in turn means that the day of the foreign cinema companies both In Manchoukuo andthe Kwantung Leased Territory is nearing the end, which at the same' time does noi mean. that there will be no. more: foreign pictures in Manchoukuo, but simply that if they are imported it the Manchuria Cinema Association which will make whatever profit there is to be obtained from them, Monopoly Established The Opium Monopoly Bureau was formed on November 3, 1032 and the opium Taw "was" promulgated on November 30, 1992, The idea of the Yaw was to check opium teame and opium use gradually by means of a rationing system which has been carried out more or less successfully in Formosa and the Kwantung Leased Territory. The motive was not intended to increase State revenue.
Under the monopoly. system in Manchoukuo the Government deter= mines. the quantity needed annually and then authorizes certain districts to cultivate poppies and manufacture opium, The place most utilized for opium growing is Jehol Province. Opium cultivation except where expressly ordered is absolutely for-hidden, The opium manufactured 1s purchased by the Government at a Sot range of prices, according to rade, Last year the price was one Y¥.50 per Tang.
The opium. is distributed to. ten leading} cities of the country, These are wholesalers and they, in their turn pass it over to about 1,200 authorized Fotail dealers, The police examine addicts and where. they consider it necessary istic certificates to allow of opium use on account of health. At the end of 1934 certificated opium users numbered over 99,000, It is to these only that retail opium dealers can sell at a fixed price,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.