THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1913. THE OPIUM TRAFFIC.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13644, 8 February 1913, Page 4

THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1913. THE OPIUM TRAFFIC.

Recent cable news indicates that the Republican Government of.■■ China is applying.itself diligently to the-'task,of. reducing the growtli of opium, and is adopting very severe measures indeed to discourage the cultivation of the poppy; withrthe prospect of 'early banishing the traffic—both local and import —from tho country -altogether.- An

agreement was reached iv 1907. between the Wai-wu-pu and'the' British Minister limiting imports from India. It was then agreed that 51,000 chests of opium should be regarded'as the standard

amount annually imported at that time

from India, ami should bo deevcaseo yearly from 1908 by 5,100 chests. This

annual decrease was to continue for three years from the beginning of 1908, the Indian Government undertaking that if at the. end of that time it was found that China had similarly reduced her own production of opium, the progressive decrease of the Indian production would be continued with a view to the total cessation of the traffic at tho end of ten years. On the expiration of this agreement'a new one was signed in 1911, providing that the export of opium from India t« China should cease in le«s than -sevenyyears v if .clear proofs was given .to the ".satisfaction or tho !AJlo■-«)in->■ plete absence of. production of native opiuii? in China. It was agreed also that, pending the complete, disappearance of poppy cultivation in the Chinese Empire, Indian opium should not be conveyed into any province, the ports of Canton and Shanghai exempted, which had coased to cultivate or import the native produce. Great Britain further undertook to reduce tho Indian imports by an amount equal to onethird of the amount of uncortificated Indian opium in bond in China on given dates. In July, 1911, China notified the prohibition of importation of opium from Persia aild Turkey after December 31st of that year. Sir Alexander

Hosie, a British Commissioner, inquired

in 1911 into" the progress mado by the Chinese authorities under the agreement and ho reported that poppy cultivation had been suppressed in the provinces of Sichuan and Sbansi, and reduced considerably in Ivansu. The agreement was not adhered to, however, China endeavouring to prematurely extinguish the foreign trade, and neglect the suppression of loer.l cultivation. In December hist the obstruction of the import trade precipitated a crisis, enor-

mous stocks accumulating whirh were

unsaleable owing to the Chinese Government's action, causing heavy losses to Shanghai tindery and bankers who had been handling opium on the

strength of the 1911 agreement. In the

spring and summer of last your a large opium/ crop was harvested throughout China, and the London "Times" reported that the provinces in which Sir Alexander -Hosic had in tho previous year found a marked reduction of cultivation, were relapsing into the old condition. Last winter there was active supressiciu in some provinces, and on the whole there was little doubt of tho good into'i-

tions of the officials; but in several pro-

vineoß the poppy had again boon widely planted, while the smuggling- of native ■opium on a large scab was reported

from many centres, in both caser with I official connivance. The British Minister warned the Chinese Government; that, unless unequivocal assurances woro immediately fojtheoming that it, was the intention of China to observe the,agreement, he-would bo compelled to advise his Government that remonstrances wen? ineffective. The opinion was expressed at Pekin that -the agreement constitutes a Valuable stimulus to the Chinese to prosecute the.suppression ,of tho opknn traffic, and its denunciation liow would be. apt. to cause China to relapse into indifference. Apparently, the Chinese' desired to repudiate their opium treaty obligations, and, placed their hope in public opinion and tho application of pressure.. The British Government had to decide whether it would insist upon China observing the agreement, and thereby materially contribute to the suppression of cultvation in China itself, or acquiesce in the Chinese manoeuvres to prevent the sale of Indian opium—a course which would render the stocks at Shanghai valueless, and raise the question of compensating Shanghai, to the tune of ten ■millions, because of their failure to enforce treaty right 3. The former course was adopted, and Sir John N. Jordan, British Minister at Pekin, renewed his representations to tho Government of the Republic, which has apparently been induced to take action which promises to secure for China the benefit of the agreement of 1911 within tho specified time.