į
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The following is an extract from the speech of Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, the senior British delegate, and from the subsequent proceedings:--
"He would, therefore, conclude by submitting to the commission the following amendment to the resolution, and in the event of its adoption he would, at the proper time, ask that it might be included among the formal resolutions which would be ultimately drawn up by the commission :---
"That, having regard to the constitution of this commission, which has not among its members a sufficient number to form a committee for the investigation from the scientific point of view of anti-opium remedies and of the properties and effects of opium and its products, the commission desires that each delegation shall recommend these branches of the subject to its own Government for such action as that Government may think necessary."
This amendment was carried by 7 to 6 and on being resubmitted as one of the commissioners' final resolutions according to Sir Cecil Clementi Smith's undertaking it became, with slight verbal changes, the resolution 6, to which Dr. Wright's remarks refer.
Extract (II).
•
(a.) Turning for a moment to the resolutions adopted by the International Commission, it will be readily appreciated that, quite apart from their condemnation of the opium vice,
(P. 69.)
(6.) "The International Commission having unanimously agreed that the opium
rice must cease,
(P. 69). raised the problem from a national to an inter- national plane. On the latter the opium problem has been studied, discussed, and rouilly condemned." (Pp. 74-75.)
(c.) "Our Government
Extract (1).
"The American delegation had introduced a strict resolution in regard to The British unrestricted manufacture, sale, and distribution of morphine. delegation introduced one not quite so strict; but on their accepting certain modifications at the suggestion of the American delegation the American
(P. 71) morphine resolution was withdrawn in favour of the British.'
The following was the American resolution referred to ("International Opium Commission," vol. i, p. 47). It was the fifth of the American series :----
That, whereas the reports submitted to the International Opium Commission by - the delegations present indicate that the use of morphia, its salts and derivatives, is indissolubly bound up with the abuse of opium itself, and that their use accompanies, or sooner or later superveues, on the use of opium itself:
"Be it resolved, therefore, that in the judgment of the International Opium Commission, strict international agreements are needed to control the trade in, and the present or possible future abuse of, morphia and its salts and derivatives, by the people of the Governments represented in the International Opium Commission.”
The following extract (p. 52, ibid.) states the terms of the British resolution and the course of the discussion upon it
"Dr. Hamilton Wright moved the adoption of the fifth American resolution. "The Chair drew the attention of the House to the fact that a similar resolution had been drawn up by the British delegation,
ec
Sir Cecil Clementi Smith.-A father generally approves of his own children, and perhaps I may be pardoned for saying that though we quite follow the points referred to in the resolution under discussion, we should prefer, and it would be more in order if I moved it is an amendment, the wording of our own resolution, with the words "to China" and "other" omitted. It would then read as follows:--
"That the commission finds that the unrestricted manufacture, sale, and distribu- tion of morphine already constitute a grave danger [to China], and that the morphine
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habit is already known, and shows signs of spreading, among [other] peoples in the East and elsewhere: the commission therefore desires to urge strongly on all Govern- ments that it is highly important that drastic measures should be taken by each Government in its own territories and possessions to control the manufacture, sale, and distribution of this drug, and also of such other derivatives of opium as may appear on scientific enquiry to be liable to similar abuse and productive of like ill effects.
"Dr. Hamilton Wright.-We are quite willing to accept the resolution that has just been read in place of our own.
"M. Ratard asked whether the words the manufacture necessary.
were absolutely
"Sir Cecil Clementi Smith thought that the words should be retained.
His Excellency M. Miyaoka suggested that the words 'among people in the East and elsewhere' should be omitted.
"This was agreed to, and the resolution as amended was adopted unanimously by the House when put to the vote.”
Extract (J).
"The British delegates presented data showing that their Government, supported by powerful public opinion and parliamentary declarations, was making a sincere effort to reduce the production of opium in India and its exportation." (P. 67.)
What the British delegates did state was as below ("International Opium Com- mission," vol. ii, p. 174) ;-
"A reduction of area was ordered in 1906 in view of the probable agreement with China, and this has been followed by large progressive reductions in succeeding years. This will be seen by comparing, as below, the area producing opium in 1905-6 and the corresponding figures for the two following years. It must be noted that the Bengal cultivation, besides supplying China, also provides the opium exported to other countries and the great bulk of that consumed in British India itself --
1905-6 1906-7
1907-8
:::
Area yielding opium.
Acres. 613,996
564,583
488,54.8
"It is believed on the information so far obtainable that the actual area sown in 1908-9 will be about 456,000 acres.”
Extract (K).
(a.) "Resolutions 7 and 8 were introduced by the Chinese delegation, while resolutions 4 and 9 were introduced by the American delegation, and were passed in their original form.' (P. 71.)
(b.) Resolution 9 was proposed by the American delegation as the best method to stifle the uncontrolled sale by foreign pharmacists in China of anti-opium remedies containing opiates." (P. 72.)
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(1.) The following is an extract from the "Proceedings of the International Opium Commission (vol. i, p. 77). The resolution quoted is resolution No. 9 to which Dr. Wright refers :—
"Mr. Tang Kuo-an announced that during the interval he had held a consultation with Dr. Rossler and Dr. Hamilton Wright, and that by their suggestion he now wished to move the following in the place of his original resolution:-----
"That the International Opium Commission recommends that each delegation move its Government to apply its pharmacy laws to its subjects in the consular districts, concessions, and settlements in China."
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