Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) DRUGGING A NATION [Illustration: H. E. TONG SHAO-I One of the Leaders of the Opium Reform Movement in China] Drugging a Nation The Story of China and the Opium Curse A Personal Investigation, during an Extended Tour, of the Present Conditions of the Opium Trade in China and Its Effects upon the Nation By SAMUEL MERWIN NEW YORK CHICAGO TORONTO Fleming H. Revell Company LONDON AND EDINBURGH Copyright, 1908, by FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY Copyright, 1907-1908, by SUCCESS COMPANY New York: 158 Fifth Avenue Chicago: 80 Wabash Avenue Toronto: 25 Richmond Street, W. London: 21 Paternoster Square Edinburgh: 100 Princes Street NOTE These chapters were originally published during 1907 and 1908 in _Success Magazine_. Though frankly journalistic in tone, the book presents something more than the hasty conclusions of a journalist. During its preparation the author travelled around the world, inquiring into the problem at first hand in China and in England, reading all available printed matter which seemed to bear in any way on the subject, and interviewing several hundred gentlemen who have had special opportunities to study the problem from various standpoints. The writing was not begun until this preliminary work was completed and the natural conclusions had become convictions in the author's mind. CONTENTS I. CHINA'S PREDICAMENT 9 II. THE GOLDEN OPIUM DAYS 20 III. A GLIMPSE INTO AN OPIUM PROVINCE 53 IV. CHINA'S SINCERITY 70 V. SOWING THE WIND IN CHINA--SHANGHAI 101 VI. SOWING THE WIND IN CHINA--TIENTSIN AND HONGKONG 129 VII. HOW BRITISH CHICKENS CAME HOME TO ROOST 154 VIII. THE POSITION OF GREAT BRITAIN 178 APPENDIX 204 ILLUSTRATIONS _Facing page_ H. E. TONG SHAO-I _Title_ KNEADING CRUDE OPIUM WITH OIL TO MAKE ROUND OR FLAT CAKES 27 MAKING ROUND CAKES OF OPIUM 27 THE OPIUM HULKS OF SHANGHAI 50 AN OPIUM RECEIVING SHIP OR "GODOWN" AT SHANGHAI 50 THE VILLAGES WERE LITTLE MORE THAN HEAPS OF RUINS 54 AT LAST HE CRAWLS OUT ON THE HIGHWAY, WHINING, CHATTERING AND PRAYING THAT A FEW COPPER CASH BE THROWN HIM 54 WRECK AND RUIN IN CHINA 68 ENFORCING THE EDICT AT SHANGHAI 88