-officials who see the situation
only in this curious half-light. "It is a practical question," they say.
"The law of trade is the balance-sheet. It is not our fault as individuals
that opium, the commodity, was launched out into the channels of trade;
but since it is now in those channels, the law of trade must rule, the
balance-sheet must balance. Opium means $20,000,000 a year to the Indian
Government--we cannot give it up."

The real question would seem to be whether they can afford to continue
receiving this revenue. Opium does not appear to be a very valuable
commodity in India itself. Just as in China, it degrades the people. The
profits in production, for everybody but the government, are so small that
the strong hand of the law has often, nowadays, to be exerted in order to
keep the _ryots_ (farmers) at the task of raising the poppy. There are
many thoughtful observers of conditions in India who believe it would be
highly "practical" to devote the rich soil of the Ganges Valley to crops
which have a sound economic value to the world.

But more than this, the opium programme saps India as it saps China. The
position of the Englishman in India to-day is by no means so secure that
he can afford to indulge in bad government. The spirit of democracy and
socialism has already spread through Europe and has entered Asia. In
Japan, trade-unions are striking for higher wages. In China and India, are
already heard the mutterings of revolution. The British government may yet
have to settle up, in India as well as in China, for its opium policy. And
when the day for settling up comes, it may perhaps be found that a higher
balance-sheet than that which rules the government opium industry may
force Great Britain to pay--and pay dear.

Yes, the world has some right to make demands of England in this matter.
China can make no real progress in its struggle until the Indian
production and exportation are flatly abolished.

The situation has distinctly not grown better since the magazine
publication of the first of these chapters, a year ago. If the reader
would like to have an idea of where Great Britain stands to-day on the
opium business, he can do no better than to read the following excerpts
from a speech made last spring by the Hon. Theodore C. Taylor, M. P., on
his return from a journey round the world, undertaken for the purpose of
personally investigating the opium problem.

First, this:

"We shall not begin to have