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by your direction, entered upon correspondence with the Governments of Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and China to learn whether they would favour a joint investigation of this subject so important to humanity, particularly to all nations having any direct or indirect responsibility for the welfare of those Oriental peoples among whom opium is used.
As a result of a full exchange of views with the Governments interested, I am happy now to have the honour to report that the proposal of the United States has been accepted by all the above-mentioned Governments, and also in principle by the Government of Portugal. It has been deemed wise that the investigation be by Joint Commission; that each Government shall in the first instance prosecute an investigation in its own territories, and that attention shall be given to the commercial and agricultural as well as the other scientific aspects of the subject.
No Government having expressed a particular preference as to the date and place of meeting of the Commissioners, and the Government of the United States having found itself invited to determine this point, our Diplomatic Representatives at the capitals concerned have been instructed to request the Governments to which they are accredited to send their Commissioners to meet together at Shanghai, China, on the 1st January, 1909, the idea being that it will be found convenient for the Commissioners of the various Governments to make their investigations during the intervening months and then to confer together at Shanghai for an exchange of views, which, it is hoped, will result in valuable reports and joint recommendations to the Governments with a view to general and effective action.
The action thus inaugurated by the United States is in conformity to the established policy of our Government, expressed in the Treaty which China concluded the 17th November, 1880, by which the Governments of China and the United States mutually agreed that citizens of the United States shall not be permitted to import opium into any of the open ports of China, to transport it from one open port to any other open port, or to buy and sell opium in any of the open ports of China.
This Treaty was followed by the Act of Congress of the 23rd February, 1887, prohibiting citizens of the United States from engaging in the opium trade with China under heavy penalties.
In 1903 a Commission was appointed by the civil Government of the Philippines to investigate the opium traffic in those islands and the methods of prevention. After an exhaustive inquiry this Commission reported on the 15th June, 1904, and on the basis of their report a law was enacted providing for a progressive restriction of the importation and sale of opium under special authority of the following provision of the Act of Congress, "To revise and amend the Tariff laws of the Philippine Islands," approved the 3rd March, 1905:
Provided, however, that the Philippine Commission, or any subsequent Philippine Legislature, shall have the power to enact legislation to prohibit absolutely the importation or sale of opium, or to limit or restrict its importation and sale, or adopt such other measures as may be required for the suppression of the evils resulting from the sale and use of the drug; and provided further that, after the 1st March, 1908, it shall be unlawful to import into the Philippine Islands opium, in whatever form, except by the Government and for medicinal purposes only, and at no time shall it be lawful to sell opium to any native of the Philippine Islands except for medicinal purposes.
The Report of this Commission offers an excellent groundwork for the further investigation to be made by this Government.
While the policy of the United States has been clear and positive, to prevent American citizens from having any part in imposing the evils that follow the use of opium upon the people of China, and in using all possible means to prevent the use of opium in the Philippines, there is reason to believe that sufficient attention has not been given to prevent the importation of the drug into the United States. The importation of opium into the United States in the year ending the 30th June, 1907, amounted to 728,530 lbs. While the international investigation now proposed relates to opium in the Far East, an incidental advantage of the investigation may be to point out the necessity and the best method of restricting the use of opium in the United States.
The commercial aspect of the subject involves such complicated and widespread trade relations, that an effective treatment of it seems impossible unless it be by the concurrent action of the great commercial nations, together with those peoples of the Orient, among whom the abuse is most prevalent.
To enable this Government to appoint not more than three Commissioners and a secretary and disbursing officer, and to include travelling expenses, stationery, printing, and other incidental expenses connected with the investigation and the meeting of the
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Commissioners, I have the honour to recommend that the Congress be asked to appropriate the sum of 20,000 dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary.
Since the investigation should begin at once, and the Commissioners are to meet on the 1st January, 1909, it is very important that such appropriation be made immediately available.
Respectfully submitted.
Department of State,
Washington, May 7, 1908.
(Signed)
ELIHU ROOT.