CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 565

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ANKAZ

TRANSLATION OF HIS MAJESTY'S SPEECH FROM THE THRONE

ON 21st SEPTEMBER 1908, ON THE OPIUM QUESTION,

Thore remains yot another matter which has been occupying Our thoughts for a long time past, it is that of opium, It is unquestionable that the drug has evil offacts upon its consumers; and casts dogradation upon ovary country whore the inhabitants are largely addicted to the habit of opium smoking. Thore is no reason to doubt that tho mest aarnost dosiro of nearly overy country in the world is to suppress this noxious habit among its population. But un- fortunately thor) are many obstacles in the way of the attain- mont of this object. Ariofly speaking there is the consi- dorable shrinkago in the States' Rovunuos to be faced, then thoro is tho difficulty of compelling people already addictod to the use of the drug to throw off the habit at onco of their *own will. Evon prohibitod, it is not to bo oxpacted that such

porsons will rofrain from socking surreptitious moans to gratify their craving for opium, and thoroforo if the Govorn-

mont, unable to exceute moasures thereby surroptitious traffic and consumption of the drug can be offuctively provented, wore to attempt the suppression of the opium habit, it would only bo a considerable loss of ravonuo to the Stato without any adoquato realisation of its good intentions, It is this groat hindranco to the propor attainment of their object that had provontod Governmonts from immediately supprossing the vico. Notwithstanding those grant obstacles which o zoo standing in our way, it is nevertheless Our boundon duty not to no- gloct our people and allow thom to become more and moro do- moralised by indulgence in this noxious drug. Wo havo caruful-

y sonsidorud the subject and find that ways of carrying out bur groat dosire are not altogether wanting; and to havo accordingly docidod upon oxucuting apocial measures in the ad- ministration of the plum monopoly whoroby the spread of the opium habit among our poople shall bocomo gradually 1 sconed until it shall bõ ontirely suppressed,