GENERAL CHAM.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2109, 28 March 1914, Page 2

GENERAL CHAM.

ON THE OPIUM TRAFFIC A STRIKING LEHER. Gi'iioral Chang, Lioutciiaij.t-General juid Jiiiitary_ Adyiscr to tho President' of China, visited England last year. He. had. been appointed by the National Opium Prohibition Union of China to go to England to put before tho .British. Government and people tho real public opinion of China aoout tho opium traffic, aiid to ask tho British Government to release China, at onco from tho obligation to receive 4jty more Indian opium. During his throe months' stay in Eiigr ■lanfl he had personal interviciva with I/afd Crewo and Sir Edward Grey, anil over 260 members of Parliament of all parties, and addressed, public meetings yi London, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford, and Newcastle,

111 tho course of thosei interviews and public meetings., |:e- said; "I havo t-old the Government, and people of Britain the real facts about, thn question in (Jhiiia. T am ; returning homo to-day. Before I leave • I-cndon I want to summariso tho position to you by this k'tters-- '' . "(1) la China our opium prohibition is not yet totally done.; but the Gov-! ornmpnt is always doing its best to : suppress this evil. "(2) Wo havo reduced our nativo : production by. St) or 90 per ceiit.; but l need to contmuo our own work, which tho .British Government declares H "would, lik&'fe) assist us to accomplish. '.'{33 .China's difficulties in carrying out this reform :ar-o greatly increased ■ by E'ngliind's policy in forcing Indian opium upon us, and tho present slocks ; at our treaty ports will, if allowed to Tonmin there, creato countless t roubles ; between the' Chiiieso officials and English merchants. "(4) Opium prohibition in Ch'ina is being enforced more strictly every day, an-4 though the merchants who hold tho present stocks svill' by-and-by rompla'in.as their opium becomes unsaleable, yet China must still, continue' to suppress, without hesitation, tho evil of -opitim-smolciiig. . . "(5) Tho removal of the stocks is tho best way to avoid unfortunato iiicideilfcs, and would be tho best proof that, tho Bri.t-ish .Government is really willi'Ug to help Cliina in this reform, "(G) Cliiiia has, in any ease, great uifficulties of'lier'own to meet,' but wo: crimiot- believe that Britain .desires ioadd to our difiiculties by compelling us io take tho accumula.t-ed stock.. "(7) It. may be said that .Britain is not going to send any nioro opium from ; India. 1n China. . . . "I would like to *ay,. in reply, that tho people in Chiii'it. 'caftiiiit see any iliifercnce. between tho opium imported, directly from India and that from tho ■■ Treaty Ports. So loni; as- they see. that foreign opium is allowed -to bo , ed they sriy 1 why is it that our Government does not protect our owo; homo but,, on tho contrary, con- . iiscates our farmers' lands, destroys their profit, and even kills them in.order to give foreign merchants the monopoly ■ to enable them .to got tremendous prp-, fits from us? Our people are iii deadiy earnest io get; , rid or this evil- .Ke oiio in China who smoke's opium' can voto or become a public official. They : cannot help reeling resentment against tho country which is- forcing upon us the very article by which .we arc clo : graded 'arid |d l'ssraqe.tL Such c'on'Qition? : (ire indeed lhtolcriiblo when wo reflect that tve are .sncriflcmg. i)iilliqns of re . 'a'ifci 'of 'Ih'tis., and strug-' 'gling -agaiiisi enormous difiiculties, ana that a foreign country jforces us-to .re ■cflivo tho. poison which wo aro so eat* nestly endeavqurins; to stamp out.. "Eurtlier, I'want, to say just a word -as: to the jxcncTosity for wWc.h 'ths Brit-. ish Government, claims, credit. We- are ■ tliitr.kful for what has been done; but in. tho eyes of' our people it is only jus- . tico tardil.V rendered. A wrong lias been ■ inflicted on us for many years, and it is hard for our peoplo to realiso tlvo .gotierosity , ■v?lij3ii' they /only see. that wrong gradually given and arc told that the hated foreign- drug is still to-' be forced upon them for two or .three Vests, more.. I havo striven to awaken the British Government, but I havo not yet succeeded. lam going homo to ! tako tlio reply from your Government for which our peoplo are anxiously waiting. I am sorry that I shall bring them an unsatisfactory, reply. I earnestly beg that everyone, man and woman, in this country will d.o their utmost to writo or speak to their' friends in Parliament or in the Government, tliat. they may consider wisely, and Join with us in removing tho root ■of wr6i:.g, and; in promoting righteousness iu the, world." -. '" ... ■ -v.' ' /