TRAFFIC IN DRUGS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 143, 20 June 1938, Page 9

TRAFFIC IN DRUGS

JAPANESE CHARGED DISCUSSION AT GENEVA (Received June 20, noon.) GENEVA, June 19. The advisory commission on'traffic in opium and other dangerous drugs examined reports by Governments on the drug situation. The position in the Far East aroused a long discussion, the Chinese representatives accusing Japan of encouraging illicit traffic and clandestine manufacture of drugs in Chinese territory under Japanese occupation. The Japanese representatives denied these charges, but several speakers, especially the United States representative, insisted on their gravity.

The Commission will draw up a resolution.

"CHINA'S SORROW"

RIVER PROBLEMS

The Yellow River ("China's Sorrow") in 1855 dramatically changed its outlel

to the sea from Haichow, south of the Shantung Mountains, to the Gulf of Chili, north of the mountains. The distance in a straight line between the two points is 400 kilometres. The destruction and misery caused by such a change, of course, were appalling. And this was only one of the moves which the river has made in historical

times. For long Tientsin was its favourite outlet to the sea. At other times it has chosen the Yangtze-kiang near Chinkiang as its rendezvous with the ocean. Today it runs into the Gulf of Chili south of Tientsin. The 1933 and 1935 floods gave warning that the river is still capable of doing almost anything in the matter of direction of (flow across the plain. After emerging from the gorges near Mengtsin, it meanders widely through 700 kilometres of alluvial plain to the sea. Two almost unbroken series of dikes guard its flow along its entire length. The river is heavily silt-laden and is re-

markable for its. sudden changes of discharge. As a result, the river bottom is actually higher than the land behind the dikes at several places, and defence work is a never-ending task. The Yangtze passes through a very densely-populated area, and thus floods | do great damage. For this reason con-1 siderable attention has been devoted to strengthening and repairing of the dikes. In the past four years the Chinese'have spent about £400,000 on the main dikes. There are 1790 kilometres, of main dikes in all, and the works gave proof of their value during the floods of 1935.