Gangster Threat in Plan to Register Addicts In inviting the International Settle~ ment of Shanghai to cooperate in the, six-year opium suppression plan the Chinese Government is. obviously paying the Municipal Council a com: pliment which cannot be ignored. The invitation Is genuine, The Govern= ment is convinced that suppression by Immediate wholesale prohibition of the manufacture and sale of opium not practical. Although, in cer fain areas, the' illegality of opium hag been definitely established, for example In the province of Shantung, South Kiangs! and in the municipal area of Nanking, it Is clear that elsewhere conditions favourable to such draconian policy do not exist. Suppression by the stages of progressive reduction dependent on the creation of a government monopoly has been successful in other countries, notably India, Tt is naturally argued therefore"and the League of Nations Advisory Committee gives its authority to the—argument—that some such scheme ought to work in China, Tt has, shown signs of being fit workable in some creas, although the time is not yet ripe to express dogmatic views on that point.
The proposal, according to the semi-omelal statements emanating from the Council, "is disarmingly modest, The Council is merely asked arrange for the registration of ad-diets whose names are to be forwarded (0 the authorities of the City Government. Those addicts: cannot obtain their supplies within the Seltlement, for there is no suggestion that the Seitlement should remove its ban on the sale of opium, but they will go to the licensed shops in Chinese territory, 'They will be able to smoke in the Settlement by reason of their licences. 'The Settlement Police' will, in dens or public laces, arrest opium smokers who do not possess the addict's licence and hand them over to the Chinese military authorities in whose hands the suppression of the habit lies. The Muntcipal.gaols will not be cumbered by these offenders. The extra pense to the ratepayers will derive merely from the necessary concentra tion of the Police force on the prevention of illicit smoking. It is ox-ceted to be covered by the licence fees for addicts; if there ig any further expenditure, Chinese authorities are believed to be prepared to make a grant to the Counci! tu tha regard,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.