Page
THE MILLION DOLLAR OPIUM CASE
CROWN'S REPLY TO MR. POTTER.
CHARGE AGAINST DEFENDANTS WITHDRAWN,
HOW THE CIVIL ACTION WAS FINANCED.
MR. ALADUS TEM,
THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1918.
CORRESPONDENCE.
PHONOGRAMS & IDEOGRAMS.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE HONGEONO
DAILY PRESS,'
tors or to get hail, so they had to spend Mr. Alabaster, who, with Mr. Eldon a night in custody. The next day the Potter, has been representing the defen-Crown stated they had been arrested on dants, said: It is due to these defen- a charge of conspiracy. It was precisely dants, w
who for a period of four years the antue conspiracy that was being inves
Civil have been made the victims of what has tigated in the action in the been found to be the most impudent ense
The learned Counsel, on of blackmailing that has ever her behalf of the
S18 Are phonograms or ideograms to Crown, opposed brought to light in the courts of this bail except on the most proht be the graphic symbols of the future? Colony, that their case should be fully bitive terms, the figure mentioned being. So far as the Western world is concerned stated. These two people-bee Hy 8309,000. His Worship would not accept there sens little doubt that simple litters, and Ma Chee Lang—are very prominent bat admitted them to bail in of an alphabetic character and phonetic.
amounts of $50,000 ach. Then on May spelling will win the day.
entered
1)
court.
Of course,
represents
to the Civil action, pending the result of which the Criminal proceedings, were stayed; judgment, us is known, was given and so they demanded from the outset med to a 'stny of the crinani prove and the same script used for different.. for the defendants by the Puisa Judge on Tuesday. The only point under con sideration now is whether they are to receive
an importaE custs. It is question, for naturally the costs wili amount to an enormous sum in view of the fact that the case has occupied the Supreme Court for approximately 1 Cays
TULE ATTORNEY GENERAL
a
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LANE, CRAWFORD
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One phase of the Million Dollar Opinie Caso was completed yesterday when the Attorney-General informed Mr. J. 1 Wood at the Magistracy that the Crow businessmen in the Colony and they were had decided to withdraw the charge of orginally directors of the Yu Hing C 30th, in the Full Court, the learned the shades of sounds are endless, but conspiracy which has iwen langing over Lidk, which was incorporated in 1912. the heads of the two men-Leo Hy San The business of the Company was to deal Attorney-General applied that the Civil fortunately spoken words can be expressed and Ma Chre Lung-for the past year.in opium which was purchased from Proceedings might be stayed on the in writing by means of letters The defendants were accordingly dis India and sold here and elsewhere. It round that Criminal proceedings bad ing the main typical elementary sounds › charged, Mr. Wood informing them that, was the custour of the trade for opium en instituted, and he thought it was to of the languages. For instance, in India as far as his Court was concerned, to be purchased pretly by cash payment that application that Mr. Potter what there are no less than 117 distinct lang- hut mainly by means of lean on the referring when he made the remarks of unges, there are at least five hunded nothing remained against them. They banks to which the opium was hypothe which the Attorney General had com different dialects, and even in the same thus scoured their liberty on the Clude ented. This particular Company was plained. The application was resisted language the vocabulary of one plac anniversary of the day on which formed with a capital of 100,000, balf
of which was paid up. But one of the and the Crown accepted the opinion may be quite different from that of an banks with which the Company dealt expressed by the run out. The Crowl other Tu add to the confusion tha were arreated.
the International Bank required that in however, did not desist in it; attempt to samo vernacular is sometimes written in
the addition to the bypothecation of opium they should be further secured, sustain criminat proceedings, but con two, three, or even four different scripts
bond for $100,000 to secure. The Comings unith the issues and been decraed
bond was
joint in the Livi action. The position che languages, sut on examination all this. pany That
was thu-the plainting, consumon is seen to aris: from mere local serefal Lond and
into by crown took up
by that was the Ufcial Liquidstor, being Lee Hp Ban and a Person the name of Kiu Ju San, who was also persenang mavie in costs, was guaranteed area of to Asoka syllabary, whics GOLLUMERIS: DOMe Le Cnristian era it director and manager of the Company, in the most instance by; tuo people benu Pelad over the best about ave or six 12 how seen that with u somanie a nabot During the year 1912 the opium marketu, a iu can and others, and the Government then guaranteed them. That
of about thirty-seven simple letters any fell, and the Company found itself in
was to say, the plazatin would look to hau great difficulties. They called up the
thelu Sanur the costs and I be could nutngunge of a can be written or balance of their capital, but utill constitution of the market was such that and enough the Governinent came in with land that in the whole of India Kin In San feared that he might be the balance. The judgment which the xy letters need to be pro vendab present India is employing called upon under his bond and so he earned Fuise Junge gave was not a
arom ten to swenty thousand of the most demanded that the other director, crjuugment of the "Dereno or the douut some of them, should secure him against order. The judgment was such as chey compitented characters on carta (Chinese "At the Magistracy, the Attorney-General, his fiability under that bond. Const welcomed. The judgment sowed an asto excepted), and the result is that o making his application to Mr. Wood,quently certain directors subscribed the the case of kin in sun way utterly dis of a vota; population of over 316
Sun 4 $100,000, sufficient to cover that provedbe learned Fuise Judge said mitions of people there are nearly 2 THE said:in view of the judgment in the hond, and placed it in the name of Kiu If the plaintiff proves his case the two millions of iterates. But already the Supreme Court in the Cvil action, fu ban in the laternational Bank for derendants and incur supporters have indian Army is using Roman letters, and a time he was covered. In April, 1913, the undoubtedly been guilty or fraud, per- with one aljabet for all india, it becomes which was delivered on the 14th of this account of the Yue Hing Company, which jury and orgery on an unprecedented possible to teach any ordinary literate 10 read his mother tongue in a wWOCK" month, the Crown proposes to withdraw hitherto had been kept in Calcutta, was scale it on the other hand the piantin à
transferred to Hongkong and the Inter- tale is disbelieved hit lu ban is stamped The enormous advantages of the Koman this charge. This case, I understand, national Bunk demanded another $100,000 as an impudent blackmailer. The relettors 4 sure, sooner or later, to lead to would have come on yesterday morning for security The Company itself and sult of the Civil action had been to their gentri, adoption, anu, with cue but for the fact that your Worship found not the money, although they could have clear both defendants ausulately and en it more convenient to get this afternoon, obtained it by selling some of their tirety of the charges which wore before andarasation of the sounds assigned to and, of course, both sides naturally felt opium if they had desired, but they the Court. It had also been riearly and the different letters, the problem of tha best method of communicating Ideas in with that proposal. I only mention decided to transfer this $100,000 in Kin definitely found that the prime mover in that to make it clear that the Crown In San's account to the Company's the onse, on whose evidence these charges throngs printed books is solved BCIS-
The Company
chus......... 10-| were launched, was an impudent black-
factorily. prepared to withdraw the case yesterday account.
According to the Graphic the Japanese to which, $100,000
સ it mailer He thought it was fair that morning. There is one other point which ceived
But 1 think it is my duty on behalf of the Company, it was not entitled.
on behalf of the defendants,
letters for Japanese. The Japanese child Government to refer to, and that is the the Bank was unwilling, although they such a statement should be made publicly are contemplating the adoption of noman nax a great advantage over the Indiana statement made by my learned friend had this $100,000, to relieve the two
child in the Japanese simple kata-kana, Mr. Potter in the course of a motion for guarantors of the bends, and Kin Iu San
His Worship, addressing the defen which has only 47 simple characters. judgment in the Civil action. Mr. made trouble and fusieted that as he bad
lost his cover he should have his bond dants, said: Until this afternoon I Were Japanese proper only concerned, Potter said:
It was time the public of Hong back or that another $100,000 should be have deliberately avoided informing the problem of phonograins versus ideo kong knew the position of the Goveru put up as cover. In April, 1913, a cir myself of the merits of the case in dis grant would have long ago been settled ment and had it made clear, once and culer was sent round to all the directors pute. Until Mr. Alabaster made his tn favour of phonograms. For Japan For all, because the Government had asking them if they would take up 100 statement to day, I really did not know has one of the simplest phonetic systems not only seen fit to make itself respon chests of opium at the then market what the exact facts, on which evideon or cart. But Japanese writing and sible for the costs of the action but price of $3,500 a chest by paying $1,000 was to be offered, were. Mr. Alabaster printing is bound up with the Cainese down while the rest could be borrowed has made his statement and the Attorneys ideogramy. ⠀. The result is that the had intervened and arrested the de
on loan. That was in order to obtain General has not seen hit to offer any com Japaness student has to master a sad fendants on precisely the same charge 8105,cbo to re-secure kiu Iu San. None of ment upon it. So as far as this Court is nixture of Japanese and Chinese symbols, that Hi Lordship was investigating.
the dicetors was willing to ake concerned nothing remains against you in which the Japanese signs are photo In other words, an effort was made to
that amount at that time, and You are discharged. W stup a proper ventilation of these
gruts and the Chinese ideograms. seli. asties and an examination of them in ally it was decided to
the 100 chests to another firm. The COSTS IN THE CIVIL ACTION.
even in China the Roman letters have the proper civil court and to substituto
$100,000 was paid down, and that was
advocates, and it yet remains to be scen therefor criminal proceedings.'
taken by in lu San Trom the till to
whether in China the present system of I am so my friend Mr. l'otter will cover his bond. The Company was not
ideograms will survive for all the people, forgive us if I speak freely, and 1 have defraudet hureby, Kid in ban lett the
or Wacther some phonetic letters may be used for the Mandarin and other spoken He came back no hesitation in saying that that is a
Colony sabesquently.
vernaculara. It is possible that ideo year, and complete mis-statement of the position-
grams may remain for & time for the a completa misstatement. It is not true gain towards the end of the
HONGKONG For the company was cleared, and, there that an effort was made by the Govery, 1914, the whole of the stock
learned and leisured classes, but some ment to stop the proper ventilation of
phonetic method must be found for the there issues and on examination of them see, there was no further liabints on the bend. Kiu In San thus beerme
Lasers.
in the proper civil court. As Mr. Potter able to the subscribers for the repay- himself panted out in another part of the very same statement, judgment was meat of the lath which they had suo-
by default, because the plaintiff had no
tilation and examination of the issues by
DEFENDANTS DISCHARGED.
The argument as to whether the defen dants are to receive costs in the Civil action was concluded yesterday, the Puisne Judge reserving us judgment.
MAGISTRACY.
A YOUTH'S CRIME
A Chinese youth, apprenticed to
But
The production of scientific books for the students will exercise a great in- had retained in his possession. He was to the value or 880, belonging to his Japan, Trobably 45 per cent of the
about to be given against the plaintifforibed and which, in the meantime, fe tanner, pleaded guilty to stealing leather Buence on the future of China and Government had not interfered the ven- because be found out that the other It was stated that a great quantity of Japanese symbols, while 95 per cent. of funds to continue the action. If the not anxious to pay this and less anxious master. A people of Japan can read and write the directors of the Company-Leo Hty, Sair leather was missing and the theft was at any rate had been buying and selling only discovered whom the stock was opium throughout the year and had made checked. a considerable proft. The view he took
Mr. Dyer Ball sentenced defendant to was that as he had been a co-guarantor six weeks hard labour. for the Company he should get some of. the fruits, whereas he had got none. Mr. Alabaster then outlined the methods by which Kiu Iu San had endeavoured to escape lubility-first by a denial that to bad had the $100,000 supporting that jacket, denial by the statement, made on path, that
A GOOD SAMARITAN IN TROUBLE
the people of Chinese are ignorant of more than a few of the ideograms. If mass education is contemplated in China some system of representing the tounds of the various dialects of Chus will have to be found. Or, perhaps I should say come of the systems now in uso must be ** overhauled and made ft for expressing. the elementary sounds and essential tongs of spoken Chinore. Of course, this means that in writing and printing two
A Chinese was charged with stealing Complainant said the jacket, which was
the Civil Court would have been stopped by luck of funds, and for no other rea- son, and it is entirely incorrect to suggest that the object of the Government was to stop that examination and ventilation.
His Worship: Did the Crown become responsible for the costs before the men
not! ere arrested or nut was just
I going to explain how it was that the the costs. As the Civil action was about he was out of the..Colony ut, the time; on left out to dry, was stolen by defendant, or even three words may have to be used] Government did assume responsibility for to be dismissed part beard, without this Mr. Justice Gomperiz found that he who was observed and arrested, where there is only one ideogram; but it Defendent stated that as it was rain also means that the printed books will committed perjury secondly he stated tho proper investigation of that the Company to which the 100 chests ing he took the jacket down from the supply the means of the spoken discourse - issues which had been raised, the Govern of opium had been sold was a fictitious bamboo pols with the intention of return-nad with modern methods of typing end meat instituted criminal proceedings. They were practically obliged to do so company; Mr Justice Gomporta beld it ing it to the owner. What was really printing books can be multiplied with was a genuine frm. Not content with an act of charity was misconstrued as amazing facility. I expect that an in view of the very serious charges of this attitude, in order to bolster up one of theft by the owner of the jacket. fraud and forgery which had been his story, he stated that the defen brought to their notice. The intention of dants had on numerous occasions con- Lao Government was to proceed with fessed that they had been guilty of a those charges, to proceed with that pro conspiracy to defraud the Company of its secution forthwith, and it was opium and he denied that a circular had sonly- IN. deference
the to
views been sent to the directors asking them expressed . by their Chief Justice and the Fuisas Judge to purchase the opium and that authority
Lordships the
had eventually been given to sell the 100
any
Mr. J. R. Wood sentenced defendant to a month's hard labour. ⠀⠀⠀
A JOY RIDE IN A STEAMER. Boven Chinese pleaded guilty with being stowaways on a steamer
Mr. P. Goldring, who appeared for the
to the effect that the criminal proceedings chests to another firm Mr. Alabaster defendants asked the Magistrate to in should remain in abeyance until the rec
lu San supported
Cy action had been concluded that therecapitulated the manner in which Kiu fict a small fine."
thee charges and told
Government eventually decided to accept how when
winding-up order responsibility for the future costs of the of the Yue Hing Company Was Official Receiver in the Civil action. made the defendants Les Hy San
!!
An olleer from the steamer said the stowaways were not discovered till Van- courer was reached. A member of the
His Worship: The Government accept and Ms Chee Lung were sued by the crew was guilty of conniving at the ena ed responsibility for the casts after the Official Liquidator for the recovery of men had arrested then
these 100 The Attorney-General: Yes. Since
the
to costs by Kin. I ing guaranteed as Government intervention a period of no Official Liquidator being
less than nine
a neoved to be dealt with, by the Immigration Authorities the with by th
alphabet, of about 40 letters with about eight marks for tones would cover the spoken Chinese, and the wajority of the tetters would have the same sound in Chinese as in European languages. Any- how, in order that China may be as lite rate as Japan the problems must be tackled and solved, and I have faith in the Chinese.
As to typing and printing the Chinese ideograms that problem also may be solved. Some years ago whilst investi
found out a new mechanical principal sating a method for the Indian blind 1 which would give me a typewriter capable typing oven 10,000 ideograms. I was so
of
which had been at Vancouver interested that I made a of the
action
Mr. J. B. Wood sentenced defendants
in the ventilatiths has been occupied claimed the retura from the defendants to three months hard labour euch."
and examination of of these 100 chests of opium or damages the issues then before the Court It was for their retention on the ground of conspiracy and fraud. That action had Becured that examination,"
the
that
A CONSTABLE REBUKED.
with stealing a jacket
esacntial part, which I submitted under confidence to experts who were amazed but converted to the belief in the practicability of such a typewriter with comparatively simple mechanism. The
fendants themselves at the time professed since The action in its first stage con
on and composition of the types for to welcome the intervention because of tinned until a year ago, when Kiu lu San,
printing the ideograms Personally, it the opportunity that it would give who had guaranteed the Liquidator's
constable, interest of the hundreds of millions of them of clearing themselves. Mr. Potter,
the statement which costs with the lakh which Counsel had who arrested defendant, asserted that la Chinese to have some phonetic system
Bet out to inform 5ood reason to believe was the lakh he reason for doing so was that defondant but I am sasured again and again that am eriticising, the public of the position of the Govern had obtained from those interested in the carried a wet jacket, and when asked China will never give up the ideograms
and I think it is only right us Hing Company:
Government's inte and the de- cecupied the attention of the Court over A Chinese was charged, on remand method would also apply to the produc
in
Yuo
money
It will be remembered that at the scans to me that it would be in the previous hearing an Indian
- to perspiration. His singlet, however, settle for themselves. What, es a mis
sionary, I am most interested in is that
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found he had no more how it came to be wet, said it was due This is a matter for the Chinese to to point out that the information which responsible for the costs was
The Liquidator being thing was dry, be gave-given, of course, in a good to continue. There was an adjournment Defendant said he was the victim of a the millions of India, China, and Japan POSTAGE STAMPS, VIEW POST-CARDS, Faith was entirely inaccurate. Whatever for the
position to considered inference he sought to draw from what had been done I can assure him that there, suddenly; on the 29th of May Jest Inspector Sim stated that be invest facile to write, and suitable for printing
the Government to stop the ventilation and examination of the issues by the Civil Court, and I submit that no such nference can possiby be drawn from the acts.
the two defendants were arrested. They were rested in which were extremely harsh. They were nut summoned to that Court. They were arrested on a warrant, late in the even ing at a time when it was impossible for them to get into touch with their colici
conspiracy.ERGO
story true
for
Mr. J. Wood severely reprimanded the constable and warned him that if he gavo false evidence again his would be punished. The defendant was discharged.
shuld have letters that are easy to read,
J. KNOWLES 21, Silver Street, Cambridge, England.
(Other Local News will be found on page 5.)
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