62D CONGRESS, 2d Session.
SENATE.
THE OPIUM EVIL.
MESSAGE
FROM THE
DOCUMENT No. 733.
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
TRANSMITTING
COMMUNICATION OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE COVERING THE
REPORT OF THE AMERICAN DELEGATION TO THE INTERNA-
TIONAL OPIUM CONFERENCE HELD AT THE HAGUE FROM DECEMBER 1, 1911, TO JANUARY 23, 1912.
May 31, 1912.-Read; referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed.
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
I transmit herewith a communication of the Secretary of State covering the report of the American delegation to the International Opium Conference held at The Hague from December 1, 1911, to January 23, 1912.
In submitting this report the Secretary of State makes certain rec- ommendations regarding bills now before the Congress for the control of our foreign and domestic traffic in habit-forming drugs. I have several times called the attention of the Congress to the necessity for the passage of the proposed measures, and I now indorse the view of the Secretary of State that the Congress should promptly pass these measures, more especially because this Government "took the initiative and has been generously supported by 12 other Govern- ments in its efforts to mitigate, if not entirely suppress,
suppress, the world's opium evil.
Inasmuch as the International Opium Convention and its protocole de clôture, signed at The Hague by representatives of the United States, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, Russia, and Siam, have been given publicity by the conference and by the signatory Governments, it is deemed not improper to accompany the report with authentic copies
of them.
238