CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 588

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unsatisfactory character of the Chinese statistics (I. O. C., Fol 1, page 59):---

"The Chinese delegation beg to thank His Excellency the Chief Commissioner for Japan for the kind words he has just spoken with reference to the difficulties they had to contend against in preparing their report. With reference to the resolution before us, we consider it is couched in most reasonable and just terms, and we appreciate the fair manner in which the British delegation criticises our shortcomings. No one is more sensible than we ourselves of our defects in statistical matters, but I might submit to the consideration of this Honourable House that not only in China, hut in India and all other countries where proper methods of land survey do not exist, the same confusion would be experienced. No one knows better than the honourable member of the British delegation, Sir Alexander Hosie, the con- fusion which exists at present in China in regard to the system of land survey, and therefore we need not dilate on the fact that it was impossible for us to produce satis- factory statistics. At the same time we do

not deplore the less this chaotic state of affairs, and whether the resolution passes the House or not it shall be the duty of the Chinese delegation to draw the attention of the Central Government to our present in- adequate system for compiling of records, and it shall also be our duty to draw the attention of the Government to the fact that the lack of such proper statistics will give rise to a certain amount of difficulty when we come to adjust matters with Great Britain.

india,

"3

The speaker presumably referred to the Native States in

Extract C.

"Resolution 3 practically denounces the use of opium for other than medical purposes and urges that there should be a re-examina- tion of all government systems by which opium is produced or handled, to the end that opium shall be relegated to its proper place in medicine." (Page 70).

The following resolution was introduced by the American delegation and eventually withdrawn (I. O. C., Fol. I, page 46). It was No. 1 of the American series,

"That, whereas the reports submitted to the International Opium Commission by the delegations present recognize that opium, its alkaloids, derivatives and preparations are, or should be, confined to legitimate medical practice:

Be it resolved, therefore, that in the judgment of the International Opium Com- inission a uniform effort should be made by the countries represented at once or in the near future to confine the use of opium, its alkaloids, derivatives and preparations to legitimate medical practice in their respective territories:

And be it further resolved, that in the judgment of the International Opium Com- mission each Government represented is best able to determine for its own nationals, dependent or protected peoples, what shall be regarded as legitimate medical practice."

The following is an extract from the discussion which took place on the above (Ibid, page 50) :—

*

"Sir C. SMITH.-~* * In conclusion I can only add that we shall be unable to support the resolution brought forward by the American delegation.

"Dr. WRIGHT.-If the preamble to reso- lution No. 1 contained the words legitimate medical practice or Government regulation would that meet the objection of the Right Hon'ble Commissioner for Great Britain ?

"Sir CECIL CLEMENTI SMITH.-I regret to say that we consider that this would not meet the difficulties which I bave already indicated at some length in the paper which I have just read.

"Dr. ROSSLER suggested that the words as far as practicable' might be inserted after the word 'confine in the second para- graph of the resolution. This, he thought, might meet the objections of the British delegation.

"Sir CECIL CLEMENTI SMITH.-To put it perfectly plainly, and to be entirely frank, the British delegation is not able to accept the view that opium should be confined simply and solely to medical uses.

"Dr. HAMILTON WRIGHT agreed that one of the greatest difficulties which the British Indian Government would have to contend with was the definition of what constituted legitimate medical practice,' it being im possible to apply modern western medical ethies to a great country like India.

"After further discussion it was decided, on the motion of Monsieur RATARD, that the further consideration of the resolution should be postponed in order that the British and American delegations might confer together."

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