Chinkiang, Sept. 23.
Members of the Kiangsu Provincial Opium-Suppression——Commiss'on, which is already functioning, were formally initiated at a ceremony held here yesterday. Mr. Chen Kuo-fu, Chairman of the Kiangsu Provincial Government, presided, with over 100 representatives of the various provineial organs in attendance.
After the oath of office was ministered by Mr. Chen, an address Party Headquarters, Recalling the various efforts made in the past for the the opium evil, Mr. Vu said that these efforts have been unsuccessful, Inrgely because they aimed at speedy results without regard to effective methods.
Realizing this mistake, the Kiangru Provincial Government has now de-elded to extricate the evil from the province, not in one day, but in tour years. He expressed the hope (hi the public ce-operate with the Provineial authorities in the execution of this four-year programme Replying on behalf of the membocs of the commission, Mr. Yen Cnus toong said that the commission have: taken the oath of office, in solemn Fecognition of the importance of their Guties, which they mean to carry out to the best of their ability and in. accordance with the alms of the Pro-Vinelal Government. He hoped that the Provincial Government and the Provincial Party Headquarters will Constantly advite and assist the Commission in the execution of the opium-suppression programme.
Meeting Held at Once 'A. meeting of the commission was hela immediately after the Inaugural ceremony. It was decided to petition the Provisional Headquarters of the President of the Military Affairs Commission, "through, the Kiangsu Provincial Government, to accord the rank of a martial law official to every istrict magistrate in Kiangsu, with view to facilitating the work of opium-suppression in the province.
Tt was also decided to petition the Kiangou Provincial Government increase the budget for the establish. ment and maintenance of penitentiales in various districts of Kiangsu, in anticipation of an increase in the number of inmates with the enforce ment of the opium-suppression programme.
The meeting also decided to petition the Kiangsu Provincial Government to have the various special commissioners for the supervision of administration, supervise the work of Opium-suppression in the areas under hele Seipective. Jurisdiction—Etuo Oplem the Object Appalied by the swift penalty the' guards imposed on all who offered. the slightest resist submission. pleted, were cowed into
"The murineeers, now free to work their' will, solaed all the valuables they could' find, as well as cash and anything else they fancied.
Their main objective, however, appeared to be a large quantity of opium which was being carried aboard the ship to Harbin.
Working swiftly, they loaded their loot into some small craft manned by confederates, fired a few shots in farewell, and made for the riverbank. They headed inland and were soon lost to sight—Reuter.
Outrage Near Tientsin Tientsin, Sept. 19.
Troops have been despatched in land effort to round up a gang of bandits who yesterday abducted 56 [persons from a Chinese launch plying between Pientsin and Shangtang, near here. The brigands, some 40 in number, boarded the vessel and seized control, assisted "by accomplices travelling as passengers.
The launch" was ransacked from stem to slam, everything of value being removed. The miscreants then decamped, taking with them hostages all the males aboard. For some reason as yet unknown, the female passengers were spared from abduction.
Bandits have been very active in the Shangtang district lately, but yeaterday's crime was by far their most serious venture—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.