We respectfully request that the opium poppy seeds be confiscated and burned at
once. While seeing a friend off to Hunan at the Zhanyutao railroad station at 4 P.M.
on the twenty-fifth of this month, [X] happened to notice in the railway warehouse a
pile of forty-five gunny sacks marked for shipment to Hunan. Upon closer inspection,
he discovered they all contained opium poppy seeds, whereupon he took some as a
sample to present to you for [X]. We understand that, since the ban on opium in our
country, the government has vigorously pursued the state policy of proper punishment
for smugglers. If such a large quantity of poppy seeds as has been uncovered in the
railway warehouse is allowed to be shipped to Hunan and sown among the people, not
only will the success the state has achieved in banning opium be ruined overnight, but
also 30 million people in Hunan will be destroyed by the opium poison. Furthermore,
there is the treaty signed with the British banning opium. If shipments are allowed
to pass freely, it will seriously harm the nation and give other people a real excuse.
Therefore we request that you send someone to investigate, and that the opium seeds
be confiscated and burned, so as to avert future disaster. We would be most grateful if
Your Excellency would do as we implore, look into the matter thoroughly, find out by
whom the seeds are being smuggled, and expose the arch criminal [X] according to the
laws of China. This petition is submitted to Military Governor Wang by the Hunan
students residing in Hubei.


The telegram sent to the government reads: To the president and the Ministry
of Internal Affairs in Beijing: We students have inspected forty-five sacks of poppy
seeds found at the Zhanyutao station for transhipment to Hunan. [XX] Hubei, [X] be
confiscated and burned. Respectfully, the Hunan students residing in Hubei.


The Hunan students residing in Hubei, fully conscious of the seriousness of the case,
selected Mr. Yi Lirong on the twenty-ninth as their representative to go to Beijing to
petition [X] the government, [X] the law. Please allow us to report at a later time on
his actions in Beijing and on the indignation of the Hunan people residing in Beijing.