We have referred to the growing interest in national affairsmanifested by Chinese foreign-educated students. The number of thosewho had studied in European， American and Japanese colleges wassteadily increasing， and as they returned to their own country， theycame with progressive ideas， and were anxious to “pour new wine intoold bottles.“First Educational Mission to AmericaIt will be remembered that a party of Chinese students，numbering about a hundred， had been sent to the United States in1872， under the direction of Dr. Yung Wing. Unfortunately， owing toconservative influences in the Government， and the raising of the crythat these young men were in danger of becoming denationalized andmight become leaders of rebellion in their own country， they were allrecalled just as they reached the stage of entering college. For a longtime they were relegated to the background， and had no opportunity ofhelping to modernize China.
After the humiliation which came to the nation as a result of theBoxer Outbreak， when even the Empress Dowager saw that reformsmust be instituted if Chinese national existence was to be preserved，these young men became prominent， and began to occupy positionsof importance. Sucn men as Tang Shao-yi， Liang Tun-yen and LiangCheng joined with the students of the post-Boxer period in advocatingprogressive measures.
The nationalistic spirit of the students found an outlet in twodirections; first， in working for the reforms of China， and secondly，in opposing anything that looked like an increase in the authority offoreigners in the Settlements or Concessions.
In response to the demand for reform， the Empress Dowagerissued the famous edict of 1905， abolishing the old examination systemof China， and introducing in its place a system of modern education，from the primary school up to the university.
Suppression of OpiumAnother popular manifestation of a new spirit， and one whichconcerned Shanghai to a considerable extent， was the revival of effortsfor checking the evils of opium.
The students took the lead and young China imposed its will onold China. Those who had studied abroad realized that the addictionof the Chinese people to the opium habit lowered the prestige of theircountry in the eyes of other nations; and those who had been educatedin Japan had been impressed by the strict prohibition of opium carriedout in that country.
The student agitation swept the country， and the Governmenttook action， with the result that on November 21st， 1906， an edict wasissued ordering that the cultivation of the poppy should be graduallydecreased， and finally cease altogether in ten years; that smokers musttake out licences， and that those under sixty years of age must graduallyreduce the amount they consumed; that restriction should be placedon the sale of opium appliances， and the opening of new opiumdivans; that smoking be prohibited in all government services; and thatnegotiations be opened for the gradual reduction of the amount offoreign opium imported， and its absolute cessation within ten years.
The British Government responded to the appeal made for hersupport in this moral movement and in December， 1906， consentedto reduce the export of opium from India by one-tenth each successiveyear from 1908. The offer was provisional for three years， but when itwas found that China was really in earnest and more than carrying outher part in the programme， it was agreed on May 8th， 1911， to reduceannually the amount of opium exported from India to China， so thatthe exportation would cease entirely in 1917.
It was possible， however， for other countries to continue to sendopium to China， and under existing treaties their nationals resident Inthe Far East were free to import it. In order to meet this situation anInternational Conference was held in Shanghai in February， 1909， atthe invitation of the American Government.
It was presided over by an American， Bishop Charles HenryBrent， and passed resolutions urging the governments represented atthe Conference to adopt regulations that would aid China in carryingout her purpose. It is unnecessary here to refer to the conferences onopium which have been held since that date， all trying to regulate theuse and sale of this dangerous drug.
The opium dens in the native city of Shanghai were closed in1907， and in response to the appeal made by the Chinese authorities，on March 20th， 1908， at the annual Ratepayers‘ meeting， it wasdecided to cancel semiannually one-fourth of the opium den licencesin the International Settlement. By December 31st， 1909， all were tobe closed.
The sequel of the story of a movement characterized at firstwith great enthusiasm is somewhat discouraging and may briefly benarrated.
During the period of the Revolution in 1911， there was arecrudescence in the planting of the poppy. Under the Republic theevil of smuggling increased， and during the course of civil war， thecultivation of the poppy in many parts of China was encouraged ratherthan discountenanced by the militarists， as it was a source of revenue.
In recent years the National Anti-Opium Association has carried on avigorous crusade， in the hope of rousing the whole country to the evilscaused by opium.
Other Reforms
Many other reforms were projected at this period， and a promiseof constitutional government was held out to the people. In September，1907， a National Assembly was constituted， and in the followingmonth provincial Consultative Assemblies were created. These were tobe training schools for parliamentary government which was to havecome into existence in 1917.