PERSIA

The same authority, the Statesman's Year Book for 1918, gives a table
on page 1162, showing the value of the chief exports from Persia. The
values are given in thousands of kran, sixty kran equaling one pound
sterling.

_1914-15_ _1915-16_

Opium 41,446 kran 41,732 kran

Since the war, both Turkey and Persia are more or less under control of
the British Empire, which gives Great Britain virtual control of the
world's output of opium. With this monopoly of the opium-producing
countries, and with a million or so square miles added to her immense
colonial Empire, one wonders what use Great Britain will make of the
mandatory powers she has assumed over the lives and welfare of all
these subject peoples! Will she find these helpless millions ready for
her opium trade? Will she establish opium shops, and opium divans, and
reap half the costs of upkeep of these newly acquired states by means
of this shameful traffic?

XII

MAURETIUS

Another British colony is Mauretius, acquired by conquest in 1810, and
formally ceded to Great Britain by the Treaty of Paris in 1814. This
island is in the Indian Ocean, 500 miles east of Madagascar, with an
area of about 720 square miles. The population is about 377,000, of
which number 258,000 are Indian, and 3,000 Chinese. Opium appears to be
sold in the colony, since the Blue Book mentions that licenses are
required for opium sellers. As far as we can discover, by perusal of
these Government Reports, the sale of opium is not conducted by the
Government itself, as in India, the Straits Settlements, Hongkong,
etc., but is carried on by private dealers who obtain licenses before
they can open opium shops. A part of the revenue, however, is derived
from opium; thus, according to the Blue Book for the Colony of
Mauretius for 1915, page V 73, we read that the imports of opium for
the year amounted to 1,353 kilos, with a duty collected of 54,126
rupees. The Blue Book for 1916 shows a gratifying increase. Thus, the
import of crude opium from India amounted to 5,690 kilos, with a duty
collected of 227,628 rupees. (See page V 64.)

_1915_ _1916_
Imports of opium 1,353 kilos 5,690 kilos
Duty on opium 54,126 rupees 7,628 rupees

Total duty on all imports 3,765,677 rupees 4,143,085 rupees

Statistics for British India, Eighth Issu