years of
age, but those under sixty "must get cured before arriving at sixty years
of age. Persons who smoke or buy opium without certificates will be
punished. No new smokers will be allowed from the date of prohibition. The
amount of opium supplied to each smoker must decrease by one-third each
year, so that within a few years there will be no opium smoked at all."
Officials who overstep the law are to be deprived of their rank. In the
case of common people, "their names will be posted up thoroughfares, and
will be deprived of privileges in all public gatherings."

Opium dens, as also all restaurants, hotels, and wine-shops which provide
couches and lamps for smokers were to be closed at once. If any regular
opium den was found open after the prohibition (May, 1907), the property
would be confiscated. No new stores for the sale of opium could be opened.
"Good opium remedies must be prepared. Multiply the number of anti-opium
clubs. If any citizens who can, through their efforts, get many people
cured, they will be rewarded.... All officials, and the officers of the
army and navy, and professors of schools, colleges, and universities, must
all get cured within six months." And further, it was decided to "open
negotiations with Great Britain, arranging with that power to have less
and less opium imported into China each year, till at the end of nine
years no opium will be imported at all." The Chinese, it is evident, are
not wanting in hopeful sentiment. Reading this, it is almost possible to
forget that India needs the money.

"There is another drug, called morphia, which has done (thus my Chinaman's
translation) or is doing more harm than opium. The custom authorities
are to be instructed to prohibit strictly the importation of it, except
for medical uses."

[Illustration: ENFORCING THE EDICT AT SHANGHAI

Burning Opium Pipes of Ivory and Costly Woods

Breaking the Opium Lamps]

A clean-cut programme, this; apparently meant to be effective. It was with
no small curiosity that I looked about in Shansi Province to see whether
there seemed any likelihood of enforcement. The time was ripe. It was
April; in May the six months would be up. Opium had ruled in Shansi: could
they hope to depose it before the final havoc should be wrought?

The nub of the situation was, of course, the limiting of the crop.
Theoretically, it should be easier to prohibit opium than to prohibit
alcoholic drinks. Wines and liquors are mad