Reverend LOVENSTEIN. In so far as opium is coming in and smuggled in in large quantities, as is the case at the present time, it makes it very difficult, much more difficult than it otherwise would have been for the Chinese to stop the cultivation of the poppy there.

The CHAIRMAN. You told me of an instance at Shanghai, I wish you would state that.

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Of course there has been a very great amount of opium smuggled into China during recent years. I was traveling from Zenanfu to Tsinsin on the railroad, when one of the custom men came in and took off a couple of bags around a man's back and said there is 1,000 tales worth of morhpine in there, and they were traveling regularly between there and on almost every train they are catching them smuggling opium, and enormous quantities have been smuggled in through Japan and Manchuria, and also through Shanghai.

I have been a member of the antiopium committee, meeting in Shanghai, and we have had before us outdoors customs officials tell us that there is hardly a ship coming in from Italy or France but that they expect opium to be smuggled on it. The CHAIRMAN. Opium or morphia.

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Both. The Italian consulate up to recently has not regarded it as a punishable offense. I was looking over a recent statement, the last copies of the North China Herald, and under date of the 6th of July of last year, in speaking of the convictions in the Italian courts, this statement occurs, that the consul general said that a new law had been passed in Italy in October, 1921, but that a copy of that law had only just recently reached China, and the question was put down as one of the first convictions under that law, but it has been notorious there that men have been let off with a very light fine or let off entirely.

The feeling out in the Far East is also that America has been responsible in recent years, in a very decided way, because of the manufacture of morphine in this country, because of the conviction there that large amounts of the drug which may have been imported into America—I do not know if they went through in bond or not— got out to the Far East through this country, and it is certainly the common feeling amongst Europeans, the white race there, that we have been responsible, along with other nations, for allowing these things to continue.

The CHAIRMAN. Doctor, China began her campaign against opium in 1907, and practically stopped the growth of the poppy in 1914.

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Yes, sir; that is correct.

The CHAIRMAN. The British Empire agreeing in 1907 to reduce the amount of opium shipped into China at the rate of 10 per cent per year. You are familiar with that, are you?

Reverend LoVENSTEIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. After 1914 large quantities of morphia were smuggled into China. Reverend LoVENSTEIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And part of that morphia came from the United States; there is no doubt about that.

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. But as soon as officials of our Government discovered what was being done the Jones-Miller bill was passed, and that has practically stopped the exportation of morphia or codein to the Orient. During 1915 to 1920 we were pretty serious offenders and we might as well admit it.

Are there any further questions of the witness? Just a minute, I wanted to ask this question: In the Chinese provinces they have a civil governor and a military governor?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Yes, sir; that is right.

The CHAIRMAN. The military governor is the real ruler.
Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Yes, sir; in some Provinces.

The CHAIRMAN. The civil governor is usually a figurehead?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. It varies in different sections.

The CHAIRMAN. Each Province has its own money?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Yes; the central government is getting (it is generally believed) comparatively little money from taxes in the Provinces. It is being kept locally.

The CHAIRMAN. Each Province has its own form of money, does it not?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Yes; it does.

The CHAIRMAN. You pass from one Province into another, and you have to pay an exchange?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. That is not regulated strictly on provincial lines. It varies in different sections of the country. Your tael is your real basis of all large transactions, and you have several kinds of taels, one kind in North China, over a very large area. You have another kind of tael in the lower Yantes, and another currency in South China, but the use Yuen dollar, the silver dollar, is current throughout most of the Provinces. You can travel with that currency anywhere you are willing to take it.

The CHAIRMAN. Is it hard to carry?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Yes; but it is current throughout the country.

The CHAIRMAN. As a matter of fact, the central goverment of China exercises very little conrrol over the provincial government.

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. At the present time the government is really in the hands of a few of the stronger military rulers.

The CHAIRMAN. Of the Provinces?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Yes, or groups of Provinces, two or three.

The CHAIRMAN. What was the name of that man you told me about?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Thang Tso Ling.

The CHAIRMAN. For the purpose of showing further the lack of coordination between the Provinces and the central government, is it not a fact that the provinces exercise a sovereign power in connection with taxes on exports and imports?

Reverend LovENSTEIN. Yes, when the customs tax becomes effective, if the surcharge of 21 per cent on the effective 5 per cent tariff goes into effect, then the tax was to be removed through the province of China, and the influence of the foreigner has been to urge the abolition of these interior taxes.

The CHAIRMAN. A large portion of the morphia smuggled into China since 1914, has gone in by way of the Shantung Peninsula, Port Arthur, and Hongkong, and Shanghai has it not?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. So far as I know.

The CHAIRMAN. To what extent do you think the opium traffic has prevented the growth of Christianity in the Orient?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. That is extremely difficult to answer in any concrete way. It is more a general influence throughout the nation, feeling that we are not living up to the things we profess, and therefore discrediting to a certain extent that which we are trying to do of a helpful character for the Chinese people.

The CHAIRMAN. In other words they are not able to distinguish between the man with the Bible and the dope peddler.

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Yes; they distinguish very clearly the man with the Bible and the men smuggling or selling opium, but they hold our nations responsible for these acts, and say, "Why don't you do away with those things before you preach your Christianity to us?" Many would say that. As a matter of fact, they recognize that we are not taking care of that proposition.

Mr. ACKERMAN. May I ask a question, Mr. Chairman?

The CHAIRMAN. Certainly, you have a right to ask any question.

Mr. ACKERMAN. At the present time, do you not see an increase in the number of so-called symptoms over what it was 10 or 15 years ago?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. There has been a steady growth, and notwithstanding what I have said, I think that the outlook for Christianity in China is increasingly favorable.

Mr. ACKERMAN. But it would be more so if America and other nations would suppress this traffic entirely?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Yes, sir.

Mr. ROGERS. You think that the drug addict does a lot to keep people out of the church?

Reverend LoVENSTEIN. No man has ever been admitted to the church who is a drug addict. They have to give the drug up before they are taken in.

Mr. ROGERS. Your answer would be there is rather little drug addiction among the Christianized portion of the Chinese?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. Openly there is none, because that would be a sufficient offense to put a person out of the church in any denomination.

Mr. SABATH. What class of Chinese use these drugs?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. In the past all classes.

Mr. SABATH. At the present time, I mean?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. At the present it is very hard to say; I do not know. The wealthier classes who were used to smoking opium before are continuing it, but during the time when China rid herself or attempted to rid herself of the opium habit, tremendous advance was made, and it became looked down upon, and it had never been looked down upon before: it had been sanctioned by public opinion before that, and now it is not sanctioned, and while undoubtedly some people of education and in high positions continue to do it, I presume that the bulk of it is still smoked by people who have means, although there have been strenuous efforts made to sell it in cheap form for the coolie classes.

Mr. SABATH. How many of the poor classes obtain it, in view of the fact that it is being smuggled in, and no doubt the prices are very high?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. It is put up for them in small doses, and they do get it. Even your rickshaw coolies or chair bearers, coolie laborers, are able to get it, not as easily as they could before, though.

Mr. SABATH. What is their earning power per day?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. It varies very much in different parts of the country. In the interior I should say probably twenty or thirty or forty cents a day.

Mr. SABATH. Some one testified here that a dose would cost about, a good dose, would cost $6 or $8.

The CHAIRMAN. That is in the United States.

Mr. SABATH. Yes. I wanted to know how it was possible for the poor classes of Chinese, from what I understand their earnings being very limited, only earning from $1.25 to $1.50 per week-I wanted to find out how they could buy it.

Mr. ROGERS. Is it possible to give an estimate of the per cent of Chinese who have embraced the Christianity?

Reverend LOVENSTEIN. The Roman Catholics estimate two million, including children; the Protestants figures of adults, full members, communicants, members of the Church are between three hundred and fifty to three hundred and seventy-five thousand, and there is an equal number who are very favorable to Christianity, children of christians, who would be recognized as christians. We think there are three quarters of a million in connection with the Protestant Church.

Mr. ROGERS. It would be less than one per cent of the total population in China? Reverend LoVENSTEIN. Yes, sir.

Mr. Sabath. Three million out of about four hundred million?

Reverend LoVENSTEIN. Yes.

36054-23-8

The CHAIRMAN. Are there any further questions of this witness? I thank you very much for appearing.

At this point, gentlemen of the committee, I would like to insert in the record a letter of Roy James Battis, Monarch, Aryan Grotto, which is a Masonic organization. On February 10, 1923, Mr. Battis, representing the Supreme Council of the Grotto, appeared at the White House and presented a letter to the President. I have been trying to get in touch with him so he could appear as a witness, and this morning received this telegram.

Congressman STEPHEN G. Porter,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

Your telegram followed me to Springfield and back to Chicago. Impossible to appear before committee on Foreign Affairs this week. Must be in Cleveland Saturday and Springfield again Monday. Am extremely sorry as it would please me greatly to support your resolution in Committee. We must preserve this nation. The Grotto is expecting you to win and backs you to a man and will do our part when called. ROY JAMES BATTIS,

Monarch, Delegated for the Grand Monarch.

EDWARD A. PELOUZE,

Grand Monarch, Supreme Council, Mystic Order,

Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm (known as Grotto).

The CHAIRMAN. I may say that Mr. Battis was delegated by the Grand Monarch of the United States to represent the Order in this matter. I have obtained from the White House a letter, which is as follows:

To the Hon. WARREN G. HARDING,

President of the United States,

The White House, Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: You undoubtedly know that the Mystic Order Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm was originally organized for social purposes.

In carrying out our original plans for the spreading of sympathy and good fellowship among the members, we have come to realize that as social aspirants there is a limit to our worth and as progressive individuals we must broaden our field of activity. The growing traffic in opium morphine, cocaine, and other narcotic drugs has recently been very forcibly brought to our attention with the feeling on our part that this is fast becoming a menace to our Nation.

Hundreds of branches of the Grotto, Mystic Order Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, with our hundreds of thousands of members throughout the United States and Canada, have also recognized this growing evil and have passed resolutions, respectfully asking a conference of nations to be called to devise ways and means for eradicating the excessive international traffic in narcotic drugs.

The production and use of narcotic drugs should be regulated and restricted to the actual needs of the medical profession throughout this and other civilized nations of the earth.

We take pleasure in presenting to you these resolutions from representative branches of our order in every State of the Union and trust that in your wisdom and official capacity you will take such action that will eliminate the great evil which is sapping the manhood and womanhood of our Nation. With highest esteem, I remain,

Very truly yours,

ROY JAMES BATTIS, Monarch, Aryan Grotto, M. O. V. P. É. R.

The CHAIRMAN. The letter which was presented at the White House is as follows:

To the Hon. WARREN G. HARDING,
President of the United States,

The White House, Washington, D. C.

FEBRUARY 10, 1923.

MY DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: Since it is not my privilege, owing to your present illness, to see you personally in presenting the several resolutions as passed by the various Grottos touching upon the anti-narcotic movement, I am taking the liberty of noting briefly some of the things I would have said to you.

I feel that it is time, Mr. President, for the various fraternal organizations of our country to turn aside from their beaten paths of ritualistic ceremonies and give a little time and constructive thought to the ever growing needs of this and other nations of the world.

Serious situations are arising every day that demand the best brains of the nation to satisfy. No organization has in it any more noble or influential men than has the Grotto, Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm; nor men more capable or better equipped to do constructive work.

They have seen a great opportunity for service in helping to stamp out the rapid growth of the "dope" habit, and they earnestly beseech you, Mr. President, one of their number and the Chief Executive of this great Nation, to suggest a plan which will enable them to serve their country in this crisis.

The recent war has undoubtedly had something to do with the increase of this great evil; a misconception of the medical profession as to the urgent need for narcotics has played a great part; but I believe most of all is responsible the crafty money "grabber". of all nations who takes advantage of man's weakness and feasts upon his greed for wealth.

I believe that it is, therefore, essential that we strike at the root of the evil and regulate the traffic in narcotic drugs at the source of production, as well as the use of preventitive laws and measures among the hundreds of thousands of victims of the drug habit.

I am, Mr. President, and so are you, personally interested in our boys and girls, the future men and women of our nation, and if we are to maintain that high standard of intelligence and robust physical strength that so characterizes the American nation something must be done and done quickly to check this demon "dope" which is not only spreading poverty, misery, and disease among the grown men and women, but is, through heredity and environment, eating its way into the very heart of our nation and sapping the lives of our boys and girls.

Not only the Grotto, Mr. President, but the Elks lodges and the Kiwanis Clubs throughout this great United States, to both of which I have the honor of being a a member, have come to realize that this traffic and the resulting drug addiction is rapidly becoming a menace to our country, and we implore your serious consideration of these resolutions which we present to you.

The resolutions express the sentiments of nearly a half million Masons, with their families, and every prophet of this order stands ready to serve you in whatever plan which you in your wisdom may devise to stamp out this evil before it gets such a strangle hold that it can not be shaken.

Aryan Grotto, of Chicago, because of its 6,000 earnest and influential membership, has been delegated by Edward A. Pelouze, grand monarch of the supreme council of the order, to represent the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets in this movement of uplift, and as the monarch of this Grotto it is my privileged pleasure to act as the personal representative of the grand monarch, who, were it not for a business trip to the South, would be with me at this time.

The Grotto is a wonderfully progressive organization. Beautiful and costly temples are being built all over the United States and Canada to house its fast increasing membership. We are exceedingly glad of the opportunity to be of service in a movement that will benefit the people of the world.

With assurance of highest esteem, I remain,

Very sincerely yours,

ROY JAMES BATTIS,

Monarch, Aryan Grotto, Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm. (Accompanied by letters from: Islam Grotto, No. 35, M. O. V. P. E. R., Pittsburgh, Pa. Selama Grotto, M. O. V. P. E. R., St. Petersburg, Fla.; Samarra Grotto, M. O. V. P. E. R., Boise, Idaho; Murga Grotto, No. 51, M. O. V. P. E. R., Galesburg, Ill.: Koom Grotto, No. 99, Rockford, Ill.; Eblis Grotto, No. 87, M. O. V. P. E. R., Anderson, Ind.; Ma-Ha-Di Grotto, No. 53, M. O. V. P. E. R., Elkhart, Ind.; Avalon Grotto, No. 48, M. O. V. P. E. R., South Bend, Ind.; Hapac Grotto, No. 71, Des Moines, Iowa; Kishmee Grotto, M. O. V. P. E. R., Covington, Ky.; Shiraz Grotto, M. O. V. P. E. R., Pittsfield, Mass.; Alhambra Grotto, M. O. V. P. E. R., St. Louis, Mo.; Zemzem Grotto, M. O. V. P. E. R., Jersey City, N. J.; Shalimar Grotto, M. O. V. P. E. R., New Orleans, La.; Sepa Grotto, No. 79, M. O. V. P. E. R., Wilmington, N. C.; Yusef-Khan Grotto, No. 41, M. O. V. P. E. R., Akron, Ohio: El Karan Grotto, No. 43, M. O. V. P. E. R., Lima, Ohio; El Karnak Grotto, M. O. V. P. E. R., Nelsonville, Ohio: Aahmes Grotto; M. O. V. P. E. R., Ardmore, Okla.; Enid Grotto, M. O. V. P. É. R., Enid, Okla.; Gul Reazee Grotto, No. 65, M. O. V. P. E. R., Portland, Oreg.; Koran Grotto, No. 54, M. O. V. P. E. R., Philadelphia, Pa.; Tacobat Grotto, M. O. V. P. E. R., Tacoma, Wash. Feramorz Grotto, M. O. V. P. E. R., Huntington, W. Va.; Surat Grotto, M. O. V. P. E. R., Cheyenne, Wyo.)