File No. 774/198–199.
Chargé Fletcher to
the Secretary of State.
American Legation,
Peking, April 8,
1908.
No. 900.]
Sir: Referring to my No. 891, of March 31,
1908,1 on the subject
of the steps being taken by the Chinese Government for the extermination
of the opium evil, I have the honor to inclose translation of an
imperial edict of the 7th instant, appointing Prince Kung; Lu
Ch’uan-lin, assistant grand secretary; and Ching-hsing and Ting Chen-to,
members of the board for the organization of the deliberative assembly,
a commission for the suppression of opium. The commissioners are
directed to select native and foreign physicians of ability and
establish sanatoria for the compulsory treatment of those addicted to
the habit, including officials. They are allowed $30,000 for initial
expenses and $60,000 annually.
The commission is composed of men of particularly high rank and is
ordered to carry out the work fearlessly.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure
1.—Translation.]
Imperial edict, April 7,
1908.—Opium.
The harm wrought by the use of opium is very serious and we have in
the past issued many edicts particularly forbidding it. Metropolitan
and provincial officials should in their respective offices
reverently put these prohibitions into effect. Yet it is reported
that even among the officials themselves there are not lacking
enslaved victims of the opium habit. These men profess to be cured
of the vice, or never to have had it, while in reality they yield to
the cravings in secret, or with effrontery they openly continue to
indulge in the use of opium. In view of all this it is to be feared
that if officials of adequate rank are not appointed to make the
enforcement of these edicts their especial task they will not
produce actual effect on the date set. Let the following officials
be commissioners for the suppression of opium: Prince Kung, the
Assistant Grand Secretary Lu Ch’uan-lin, and Ching-hsing and Ting
Chen-to, appointed to assist in the organization of the deliberative
assembly.
Let the above opium commission select native and foreign physicians
of ability and immediately establish opium sanatoria, which shall be
devoted to the exclusive purpose of aiding those who use opium to
break themselves of the habit. Those officials of any of the boards
who unmistakably use opium shall be dealt with by their superiors in
the manner directed and the Throne shall be informed of the action
taken; those whom appearances seem to convict shall be committed to
a sanatorium and there subjected to an examination that shall
determine the facts in the case.
Three months will be allowed for the drawing up of the needful
regulations and the establishment of the sanatoria. When all is in
readiness the Throne shall be apprised of the fact.
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Any metropolitan official who has not entirely cured himself of the
use of opium shall be subjected by the commissioners to a thorough
test in a sanatorium. In the case of the president or the vice
president of a board the Throne shall be memorialized for authority
to make this examination. The same shall be the case in regard to
any provincial official of or above the rank of taot’ai. When the
suspected one shall be declared to have been free of the habit or to
have been entirely cured the sanatorium shall issue a certificate to
that effect and the suspected official shall resume his former
status. If, however, it is not possible to issue such a certificate
the commissioners shall report to the Throne the state of affairs.
Subordinate officials in the Provinces are left to the
responsibility of their superiors. If the commissioners discover any
case in Peking or the Provinces where a guilty subordinate has not
been reported by his superior, said superior shall be referred to
the board (of civil office) for punishment.
The above commissioners have been appointed to their positions after
careful selection and they must be no respecters of persons, nor
must they avoid the enmity of any man, but they must with all
sincerity and with energy fearlessly carry out our commands. Let no
indolence nor cowardice hinder them in the performance of their high
duties. If in the future their labors appear to have been futile the
commissioners will be held culpable.
Let K’e Feng-shih, controller of native opium taxation, hand over to
the commission for initial expenses 80,000 taels, said sum to be
taken out of the revenue derived from the taxation of native opium,
and 60,000 taels annually hereafter, for the necessary running
expenses.
Respect this.
