Opium is wonderful, come to think of it. But why, since it is so beneficial and so profitable, confine it to the downtrodden races of the world? Why limit it to the despised races, who have not sense enough to govern themselves anyway?
The following figures are taken from the Statistical Year Books for the Kingdom of Siam:
Foreign trade and navigation of the port of Bangkok, imports of opium:
| 1911-12 | 1,270 | chests of opium |
| 1912-13 | 1,775 | |
| 1913-14 | 1,186 | |
| 1914-15 | 2,000 | Imported from India and Singapore. |
| 1915-16 | 2,000 | |
| 1916-17 | 1,100 | |
| 1917-18 | 1,850 | |
Also, from the same source, we find the number of retail opium shops:
| 1912-13 | 2,985 |
| 1913-14 | 3,025 |
| 1914-15 | 3,132 |
| 1915-16 | 3,104 |
| 1916-17 | 3,111 |
VII
HONGKONG
"The Crown Colony of Hongkong was ceded by China to Great Britain in January, 1841; the cession was confirmed by the treaty of Nanking in August, 1842; and the charter bears date April 5, 1843. Hongkong is the great center for British commerce with China and Japan, and a military and naval station of first-class importance."