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12 CHINA MISSION YKAR BOOK.Far East, manyof which had maintained an attitude ofinvincible skepticism as to the real intentions of China.She has proved ready to sacrifice between one hundredand one hundred and fifty million taels of revenue, whichis the highest proof of her intentions. That the poppyplant is no longer grown in several of the provinces whichmost largely produced it, seems to be matter of trustworthy testimony. That many opium-smokers havebeen induced to leave off smoking, and that some havedied in the attempt, is also well known. The drug hasenormously increased in price, and it can no longer beafforded by the poor. Great quantities of morphia havefound their way into China, a substitute much worsethan the original. Against this it is difficult effectivelyto guard. None of these facts, nor all of them combined,prove that China has given up opium, or that she will doso. That is a matter which of necessity must requireat least another decade or two after all growth or visibleimportation ceases. China is full of buried opium totallybeyond the reach of assessors or inquisitors, sufficientto furnish a moderate supply for a long time to come.There may for aught that appears be a steady leakagefrom Persia, etc., through Central Asia. And in any casethe problemis so vast that it can no more be undertakenoff hand and achieved like the building of the Great Wallunder the Ch in Emperor than can any other reformwhich is as much a moral as an economic question.That China will be successful in the end we have faith tobelieve, but it is a distant goal and will require strongand steady efforts. When \ve remember that the Chinesewere once a nation of heavy drinkers, and completelythrew off that vice, we can see the moral stamina fundedin the Chinese people. To all friends of China it is (orought to be) a matter of regret that just as the country isstruggling to free itself from the Opium Laocoon, a greatsyndicate should appear upon the scene flooding everyprovince with its insidious (and often hideous) posters,striving to fix upon the Chinese the cigarette habit.

GENERAL SURVEY, 13The general introduction of foreign liquors also cannot prove other than an injury to the physical constitution of the Chinese and the morale of China.The status of the Chinese Press is a matter of thegravest concern both to the people of China and to therulers. At presentit seems difficult to know what toexpect some journals being summarily suppressed, and;then reincarnated under other names. The control ofimportant organs by wealthy officials is an evil of greatimportance, which is apparently less in evidence than ayear or two ago. But in this as an other lines it isdangerous to give too much liberty before there issufficient self-restraint to prevent its abuse.Rumors regarding numerous social reforms whichare supposed to be just below the dip of the horizoncontinue to abound, and some of them may be not faroff. Among them are the abolition of the eunuch system, the discontinuance of girl slavery, permission forthe removal of the queue, and the like. The Occidentalbow has been recognized as a useful compromise betweenthe varying Chinese and Manchu salutations in Peking.Hand-shaking between Chinese and foreigners has (soto speak) made great strides, and the increasing opportunities of meeting gentry and officials afford numerousvaluable opportunities for mutual adjustments.It is greatly to be regretted that one is unable todetect any signs of improvement in the administrationof the national system of education. As a whole itappears to be unsystematized, uncoordinated, expensive,and inefficient. In the eighteen provinces there arethought to be about 350 foreigners employed in Chineseschools, of whom perhaps six-sevenths are Japanese.There is, as there has been from the outset, a greatdearth of competent teachers, and especially of thosetrained for their work and interested in it. The adoption of the Western Sunday as a school holiday, so widelyhailed as a bright sign of promise, has probably provedan almost unmixed evil in periodically removing pupils

12 CHINA MISSION YKAR BOOK.Far East, manyof which had maintained an attitude ofinvincible skepticism as to the real intentions of China.She has proved ready to sacrifice between one hundredand one hundred and fifty million taels of revenue, whichis the highest proof of her intentions. That the poppyplant is no longer grown in several of the provinces whichmost largely produced it, seems to be matter of trustworthy testimony. That many opium-smokers havebeen induced to leave off smoking, and that some havedied in the attempt, is also well known. The drug hasenormously increased in price, and it can no longer beafforded by the poor. Great quantities of morphia havefound their way into China, a substitute much worsethan the original. Against this it is difficult effectivelyto guard. None of these facts, nor all of them combined,prove that China has given up opium, or that she will doso. That is a matter which of necessity must requireat least another decade or two after all growth or visibleimportation ceases. China is full of buried opium totallybeyond the reach of assessors or inquisitors, sufficientto furnish a moderate supply for a long time to come.There may for aught that appears be a steady leakagefrom Persia, etc., through Central Asia. And in any casethe problemis so vast that it can no more be undertakenoff hand and achieved like the building of the Great Wallunder the Ch in Emperor than can any other reformwhich is as much a moral as an economic question.That China will be successful in the end we have faith tobelieve, but it is a distant goal and will require strongand steady efforts. When \ve remember that the Chinesewere once a nation of heavy drinkers, and completelythrew off that vice, we can see the moral stamina fundedin the Chinese people. To all friends of China it is (orought to be) a matter of regret that just as the country isstruggling to free itself from the Opium Laocoon, a greatsyndicate should appear upon the scene flooding everyprovince with its insidious (and often hideous) posters,striving to fix upon the Chinese the cigarette habit.

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