future policy, though the implication was that the houses would be all
closed within a period of two years. In his speech introducing this
resolution before the ratepayers, the British chairman of the council
said, among other things, "I feel sure that every one of us has the
greatest sympathy with the Chinese nation in its effort to dissipate the
opium habit, but we are not unfamiliar with Chinese official procedure,
and how far short actual administrative results fall when compared with
the official pronouncements that precede them. It is impossible not to be
sceptical as to the intentions of the Chinese government with regard to
this matter, although on this occasion we quite recognize that many
officials are sincere in their desire to eradicate the opium evil, and I
am sure there is every intention on the part of this community to assist
them. Yet we know of no programme that they have drawn up to make this
great reform possible, if indeed they have a programme.... The absence of
these, so to speak, first business essentials, on the part of the Chinese
government, was among the reasons which led us to the view that the
settlement was called upon to do little more than continue its work of
supervision over opium licenses, and wait for the cessation of supplies of
the drug to render that supervision unnecessary.... The advice we have
received from the British Government is, in brief, that we should do more
than keep pace with the native authorities, we should be in advance of
them and where possible encourage them to follow us."

In the following quotations from a letter written by Dr. DuBose, of
Soochow, President of the Anti-Opium League, to the municipal council, the
attitude of the reformers is clearly shown.

"The prohibition of opium-smoking is the greatest reformation the world
has ever seen, and its benefits are already patent. Let the ratepayers
effectually second the efforts being made by the Chinese government to
abolish the use of opium throughout the empire.

"It has proved a peaceful reformation. In the cities and towns about
one-half million dens, at the expiration of six months, were closed
promptly without resistance or complaint. The government will grant all
the necessary privileges of inspection to the municipal police in the
prevention of illicit smoking.

"The consumption of opium in the cities has fallen off thirty per cent.;
in the towns fifty per cent.; while in the rural districts in the e