Page:A wandering student in the Far East vol.1 - Zetland.djvu/270

204 "a direct import from Hong Kong, is worth noting in view of the fact that foreign opium has hitherto been practically unknown here. It is understood, however, that the result of the tentative shipment has not been encouraging to the importer." Here, then, is a vast area grievously addicted to the vice which would not be affected in the smallest degree by the cessation of the importation of the drug from India. Whatever may have been the case in the past, there is no doubt whatsoever that it is in the immense production in China itself that is to be found the root of the evil at the present time. Nothing short of a drastic campaign against the habit by the local authorities will have the slightest effect in checking the evil here; but the fact that the said local authorities, already heavily squeezed by the central Government and hard put to it to carry on their duties in addition to providing their own emoluments, draw large sums from the opium traffic, holds out little enough prospect of their engaging in a war of extermination against