Identifier: newlifecurrentsi00game (find matches)
Title: New life currents in China
Year: 1919 (1910s)
Authors: Gamewell, Mary Louise Ninde, 1858-1947
Subjects: Missions -- China China
Publisher: New York : Missionary Education Movement of the United States and Canada
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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nd mission schools. Fighting the Real Chinese Dragon Closely related to this subject of prevention ofdisease is the opium problem. In April, 1917, wesupposed the victory had been won and that afterthe long wait and bitter fight, the drug was for-ever banished from China. But just then, to ourdismay, the hydra-headed monster showed itselfonce more. Fifteen hundred chests of opium hadfor six or seven years been stored in Shanghai, forwhich the foreign merchants who imported it de-manded payment. The government bought theopium, but, instead of burning it as most peopleconfidently expected would be done, 300 chestswere sold to a Chinese syndicate and the saleof opium was legalized in three provinces. It wasonly a short time before in many a province poppyfields bloomed again, and the smell of opium smokebegan once more to offend our nostrils. The shameful story need not be repeated indetail. Suffice it to say that all over China the bestChinese lifted up their voices in righteous indigna-
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o 5 rS u — o -i-r G H PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE loi tion against this breach of their countrys faith.Mass meetings were held, and proclamations issued.Memorials rained into Peking. Foreign Powersalso sent their protests. Such pressure was broughtto bear on the government that President HsuShih Chang finally ordered the remaining 1,200chests in Shanghai to be publicly burned. TheVice-Minister of Justice was despatched fromPeking to supervise not only the burning of theopium, but prior to that, an examination of theopium chests to make sure that they had not beentampered with, and that what was burned latercould be relied upon as being the genuine article.Twenty-one organizations, patriotic and religious,united in sending a request to Peking that they beallowed to have representatives present at both theexamination and the burning of the opium. Therequest was granted. /4 Twelve-Million-Dollar Bonfire On the 8th of January, 1919, the examinationof the opium began in a large warehouse

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