NATIONAL VICE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 169, 10 April 1908, Page 7

NATIONAL VICE.

A SINCERE EFFORT AT SELF-DISOTE. OPIUM PROHIBITION, : REFUGES FOR THE VICTIMS. - ' ■ ■< . 1.. 'IV TIiLEGRAriI—PRESS ASSOCIATIONr-COPTRIGUT. .Lonficn, April 8. • - Tlio 'Chineso Government is malung an energetic attempt to reduce tho consumption of opium. It. ,Ims issued, a rigorous pro-' liibition against tho'uso of tho drug-in colleges,, schools, and tho army. I'rinco Kung: and four high officials are inquiring as. to. extra smoking among officials and .people. ~.. Tho edict orders tho establishment of .refuges where victims will be.treated. SUPPRESSIVE MEASURES. 'All accounts-go, tb; indicate that China is really in earnest about. the suppression of 9pium, and. the British: Government, according -to- an announcement made about 'a. fortnight aijo, agreed to an experimental decrease ill.the importation, of opiuni for-a period of ..tlnee, years, , in. onjer to see whether the cultivation- of the poppy and' the number of : opium smokers would-be ..lessened. - Should this be found to be tho case, the amount of opium imported' will be decreased annually. - Theve are other factors than, tho importation of, opium. First, of.-all, Britain ,in watching to see whether/the experiment will be accompanied ;with: a decrease, iii poppy ' culture in China. '' Then,- again, morphia will bo' a formidable' difficulty. All the manufacturing Powers, except Japan and . Germany, have' given their assent to the .'enforcement of the clauses in' the;. American and British^ Treaties forbidding the importation of ' morphia; except for-uiedical purposes. But Japan is the'lnrgesti manufac6jirer .of hypodermic needles and other appliances for. the uso of morphia;, and Japan, as :is evidenced by the case of .the' ariiis-laden .steamer,Tatsu, -Sfaru,,does not .lightly endure interferences witir tratle. Morphia is .smuggled : into , ,China in "large quantities. Only a few .ounces are shown in'the Customs returns, yet, tho import should ,be ; estimated in tons.- ; The''edict; of the Emperor.' of' China was couched .'in thesa' .terms;—" Since, the .abolition of the. edict' against. opiuni,; the .pojson has spread'-tiirough the country until it is almost oier all -Chiua.i .Those who - become, addicted to,the habit arc" known, to have wasted thoir time! neglectcd their trades, ruined their, constitutions, arid oven 'squandered their property because of it. For tho several tens,.of years since this condition of things, China has become poorer and .poorer evory. .day, and •it {makes- us.- deeply.-, indignant to - speak of this matter.,; As the -Throne is now determined 011 the cause and on. reform, it becomes incumbent .'upon up to exhort our'people to stop the pernicious habit, pluck out this cancer which'is eating deep into our bodies, and strive for -an era "of "physicalhealth ( and harmony. . We,, therefote, hereby decree that, a limit of- ten years- be .given- from date to entirely get lid'of-the bane of opium' smoking, nnd wo 'hereby further command tho .Council, of ( State Affairs , (Chengwuch'u) to'consider measures about the future-strict pro- - liibition of the : habit , and ■■ the planting 'of tho poppy plant throughout the. Empire; and report the saihe: to us for approval." ; ({The Government'at once proceeded to draw 'up .'regulation for - the, grndiial stoppage of tho ;importation;;and--'uses" of opium, and for the ;gradunl'cure of its slaves.- All. persoris using :opiu'm'->miisti-bo.'.registered.'either • at a yainen or, With their -village- headman; .No . unregistered person-:,may purchase.; opiuni,. .and no person .riiay'-crtmriienco the .use.of opiuni after tlie:.issuo of these ~regulations., Then, again, the. provincial; authorities are to devise methods for" decreasing 'opium'smoking by persons addicted to ;thff - habit. i Tlioso above '.the age ,of GOyears ;■ will',,be treated • leniently. >, Persons under " CO years' of ' age must, decrease their smoking by '20 per cent, annually. -11, is $dded that' persons' Who evade this regulationwill -. be '- pnnished. . All shops selling; opium aro to be closed gradually, (in: most' cases; this has been-, done), .XNo, new opium shops.. are to be: opened.'.. ■-Local: officials are to assist the people addicted'to':'the use of opium'by distributing,- at cost' price or, gratis,:;suitable, .medicines,, .which' aro '.not .to contain, opium, or. morphia. '{''V '' Officials 1 are;-enjoined ■to -set::an ' exhmplo' to ■thepeople; \n/. discontinuing- the. use of opium.: Tliose'. above the; age .of (CO,-.as . other 'people above CO, will lio treated leniently,..iVhich prob-'-ably *incahs-:'thati!they'.'will : : enjoy ; thoir dissipation to ;'tlje* close - ofV their, - lives.;'.- Special, arrangement,will, :be. made to allow Princes, '■Dukes,'Viceroys,;:and 'Tartar .generals- to; pro-' vide " substitutes for their posts' during the 'period 'of-cure.; -All. offitiialsiunder, the,ago of'GO'must abandon the habit'.within'six--months. ' -If they cannot do..so, : they must .--."retire.-". The of,the' poppy-' and the use of:. opium are .to. 'cease within .10' years. ' The cultivation off.the poppy -may. not: bo,'extended;-Jieyond; its present limits; it,- must be- restricted annually. '%!.one'-tentli. 'of its {present; area.' ..' In ' the event', of ; any '.evasion, of (this-' regulation, tho ■land-of-the,.cultivator, is liable to be confiscated. :;On-the: other hand; if the - cultivation 'is ceased, earlier,{rewards' will I ,be given.' ',- -One, of the "latest, accounts from ,China de-scribes-how: .permits ; are. issued monthly to confirmed smokers, to whom it would bo dangerous' to break off: the. habit at oncc; the permits -specify,; the - amounts, reduced every, riiohth,, ivhieh the' holders .are allowed , to buy. :Search','parties, are.organised, '.which break into suspected houses, and seize and destroy any opium or smoking requisites. Tho fact that ! the victims of'the'-opiurn'habit are" in need of refuges.seems -to; indicate -at onco the effective— ,nqss of the 'suppressive measures. • --,