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THE OPIUM EVIL.
By article 14 the contracting powers pledge themselves to apply their laws and regulations governing the manufacture, importation, sale, and exportation of morphine, cocaine, and their respective salts to medicinal opium and to all preparations of opium containing not more than 0.2 per cent of morphine or more than 0.1 per cent of cocaine and heroin, and also to any new derivative of morphine and cocaine, or any other alkaloid of opium which might be shown by general scientific research to occasion similar abuses and result in like noxious effects. Article 14 again represents a compromise. The American and several other delegations pressed to have the exceptions in this article as to percentages of morphine, cocaine, and heroin deleted, but failed to accomplish their purpose.
Chapter IV is composed of articles governing the opium traffic as it has obtained in the past between China and the nationals of several Governments represented. The interest of the United States in this chapter may be said to be important, because it contains prin- ciples for which the Chinese Government and people long contended, principles which were supported by the United States in its first treaty (1844) with China, and by Article II of the treaty of 1880 with China, which directly prohibit American citizens from entering into the Chinese foreign or coastwise traffic in opium. Chapter IV bears somewhat on the great concession made to China by Great Britain by the so-called 10-year agreement of 1907 and the modification of that agreement, signed at Peking May 8, 1911.
To make this clear a digression may now be made, for one of the
purposes of this Government in initiating the international move- ment for consideration of the opium traffic in the Far East was to have the interested powers determine if the Indo-Chinese opium traffic and the collateral opium traffic to the Philippines could not be mitigated or abolished. Coincident with this purpose, the great leaders of the British Government, more particularly Sir Edward Grey, Lord Morley, Earl Crewe, and Lord Minto as Governor General of India, determined upon an agreement with China by which the Indo-Chinese opium traffic should be abolished pari passu with the suppression of the production of opium in China. During 1907 an important agreement was arrived at by the British and Chinese Governments whereby the then annual exportation of Indian opium, 67,000 chests of about 140 pounds each, was to be reduced by 10 per cent per annum of the then Chinese import of the drug-51,000 chests-on condition that China suppressed her internal production of opium-about 300,000 chests per annum-at the same rate; that is, the total export of opium from India to all countries was to be reduced by 5,100 chests a year, and the Chinese production by about 30,000 chests, the object being the obliteration of the Indo- Chinese opium traffic and the internal production of opium in China in 10 years, beginning January 1, 1908. This agreement was entered into by both parties with sincerity and determination, and Lord Morley later intimated that should China outrun her part, the British Government would modify the agreement in her favor. There was a great and wide-spread doubt as to China's ability to live up to the agreement of 1907. But by April, 1911, the Chinese Government was able to demonstrate to a British official appointed for that purpose that they had more than carried out their part of the agreement by completely suppressing the production of opium
THE OPIUM EVIL.
in certain of the Chinese provinces, and reducing the production in other provinces from 30 to 75 per cent.
It is worthy of note that the British official just referred to, Sir Alexander Hosie, a representative of the British Government at the International Opium Commission, reported that in the great Province of Szechuan, which, before the Anglo-Chinese Agreement of 1907, was producing more than 200,000 piculs (picul=1334 pounds) of opium, had completely suppressed its production at the time he reported, and that in the great Province of Yunnan, where there has been a production of 60,000 piculs, such production has been reduced 75 per cent. This had been accomplished by a loosely organized empire es the result of imperial ediets which, running through the land, received the moral support of a great majority of the Chinese people, their viceroys and governors of provinces, magistrates, and other officials. Thereupon on May 8, 1911, the British Government agreed with China that there should be a modification of the agreement of 1907. The chief points of the new agreement are as follows:
1. The British Government recognizing the sincerity of the Chinese Government and their pronounced success in diminishing the production of opium in China during the three years from January 1, 1908, expressed their willingness to continue the arrangement for the unexpired period of seven years on the following conditions:
2. From the 1st of January, 1911, China shall diminish annually for seven years the production of opium in China in the same proportion as the annual export from India is diminished until total extinction of the Chinese production in 1917.
3. The Chinese Government having adopted a most rigorous policy for prohibiting the production and the transport of native opium produced in China, the British Gov- ernment expressed their agreement with this policy and their willingness to give every assistance. With a view to facilitating the continuance of this work, His Majesty's Government agree that the export of opium from India to China shall cease in less than seven years if clear proof is given of the complete suppression of the production of native opium in China.
4. His Majesty's Government also agreed that Indian opium shall not be conveyed into any Province in China which can establish by clear evidence that it has effect- tively suppressed the cultivation and import of native opium produced in China.
5. During the period of the new agreement China shall permit His Majesty's Gov- ernment to obtain continuous evidence of the diminution of production of native opium by local inquiries and investigation conducted by one or more British officials, accom- panied-if the Chinese Government so desire--by a Chinese official. The decision of these inspectors as to the extent of the production of native opium in China is to be accompanied by both parties to the agreement.
6. By the arrangement of 1907, the British Government agreed to permit China to dispatch an official to India to watch the opium sales, on condition that such official would have no power of interference. His Majesty's Government now agree that the official so dispatched may be present at the packing, as well as at the sale of opium on the same conditions.
7. The Chinese Government undertakes to levy a uniform tax on all opium produced in the Chinese Empire, while the British Government consents to the increase in the present import duty on Indian opium to 350 taels per chest of 100 catties--such increase to take effect as soon as the Chinese Government levy an equivalent excise tax on all native opium.
8. With a view to assisting China in the suppression of opium, the British Govern- ment undertakes that from 1911, the Government of India will issue an export- permit, with a consecutive number for each chest of Indian opium declared for ship- ment to or for consumption in China. During the year 1911 the number of permits so issued is not to exceed 30,000, and shall be progressively reduced annually by 5,100 during the remaining six years ending 1917. His Majesty's Government under- takes that each chest of opium for which such permit has been granted shall be sealed by an official deputed by the Indian Government, in the presence of the Chinese official, if so requested.
9. Both parties agree that should it appear on subsequent experience desirable at any time during the unexpired portion of seven years to modify the agreement or any part thereof, it may be revised by mutual consent.