Zhangjingyao's Smuggling of Opium Seeds
Uncovered (People’s News Agency dispatch,192
December 24,1919)
Information from the People’s News Agency. An express letter from Hankou dated
the twenty-fourth reads as follows: This afternoon students went to the Zhanyutao
train station in Wuchang, where fifty bags (big gunny sacks) of opium poppy seeds
have been detained. The seeds, which Hunan Military Governor Zhang Jingyao193 had
shipped from Fengtian,194 arrived yesterday evening (the twenty-third) and were to be
shipped to Hunan on the Changsha-Wuchang railroad line, but they were detained at
192 Shidafu, a term which may refer either to high officials or to literati both in and out of bureaucratic
office. Obviously Mao is using it in the latter sense, since some of the people he refers to are in business
rather than in government service.
193 The Pingmin tongxinshe or People’s News Agency was organized by Mao, Zhang Boling, and
others as the news agency of the Hunan Petition Delegation in Beijing calling for the ousting of Zhang
Jingyao. Every day, it despatched news on the movement to oust Zhang Jingyao to papers in Beijing,
and also in Tianjin, Shanghai, and Wuhan, as well as to Hunan.
194 Zhang Jingyao (1881–1933), zi Xunchen, from Anhui Province, graduated from the Baoding
Military Academy and rose quickly in rank thanks to the patronage of Duan Qirui. In 1917 he was sent
to Hunan during the north-south hostilities, where he contributed little to the success of the northern
armies. Despite this, when Duan Qirui once again became premier in March 1918, he proceeded to
appoint Zhang Jingyao, a trusted member of the Anfu clique, governor of Hunan. Zhang’s brutal nature
and arbitrary rule provoked the intense hatred of the Hunanese. The defeat of the Anfu clique by the
Zhili clique in the continuing struggles among the warlords undermined Zhang’s position, and he was
obliged to flee the province at the end of June 1920.

the station for lack of a permit. This morning (the twenty-fourth), Mr. You Yong,195
a Fujian student, learning of the incident at the station, ran to spread the news to
the higher normal school. The Wuhan Student Association has already put forward its
demands to the Opium Prohibition Office of the provincial assembly and has decided
to distribute leaflets tomorrow to inform the people of the three cities.196 It is said
that the Hunanese residing in Hubei will also meet and discuss how to deal with the
situation. Another communication reports: a large quantity of poppy seeds has
recently been discovered and seized at the Wuhan railway station. When the news
reached here, seven people, Yi Lirong, Li Weixiang, Zhang Maoxun, Chen Haiting,
Yuan Dawei, Liu Shengdong, and Yang Bojuan, were delegated to go to the Zhanyutao station where they examined 50 big sacks, weighing over 200 jin each and totaling
over 10,000 jin, all contained in gunny sacks. The students took a handful of seeds out
of the sacks and shot a few photos for evidence. According to Zhao Fenglou, a police
guard at the station, the seeds arrived more than ten days ago and were to be sent
to Hunan and turned over to Military Governor Zhang. Since there was no permit
accompanying them, the matter was reported to Military Governor Wang,197 and the
seeds were detained. Governor Wang has already cabled the central government asking
for instructions on what to do with them. Whether they will be shipped or burned,
concludes Zhao, depends entirely on the governor’s orders. There is, however, as yet no
news as to whether or not Governor Wang has actually cabled the central government.
Some people say that another 25 sacks (about 5,000 jin) of the seeds sent from Fengtian
by the Beijing-Wuhan line have reached their destination. The entire military escort
(all Governor Zhang’s men) has fled. Governor Zhang is reported to be exerting his
influence on the Ministry of War for a permit to be issued to Wuhan so the seeds may
be shipped to Hunan. The Wuhan Student Association has adopted a resolution, which
will be sent to the central government in the form of an open telegram, and submitted
to the governor as well. The Association of Hunan Students Residing in Hubei has also
made preparations for issuing a telegraphic statement, and has made contact with the
General Association of Fellow Hunan Provincials, suggesting at the same time that
this can all be carried out today or tomorrow. The telegram of the Wuhan Student
Association reads as follows: To all provincial assemblies, all provincial education societies, all provincial chambers of commerce, all newspaper offices, the General Student
Association, all provincial student associations: Hunan Governor Zhang Jingyao, acting in collaboration with Zhang Zongchang, commander of the Sixth Mixed Brigade
stationed in Hunan, has detached troops to escort with a permit a shipment of opium
poppy seeds into Hunan to force the people to grow them in vast areas. The crime
of bringing calamity to the nation and the people must not go unpunished. He has
already brought in many shipments without being discovered. Yesterday, he brought
195 Old name for Liaoning Province, or its capital, Shenyang, formerly Mukden.
196 For more details on Mr. You Yong and this incident, see the text of January 4, 1920.
197 I.e., the three cities making up the conurbation known as Wuhan: Wuchang, Hankou, and
Hanyang.