CO129-385 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 191

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Thus it was observed that the interest of the United States in the opium problem is material as well as humanitarian, and that, as the result of the inves- tigation made before the meeting of the International Opium Commission, the Congress enacted legislation which ained to prevent the importation of opium into the United States except for medical purposes. But it was noted that the United States is not an opium producing country and that in order to make its present and proposed laws fully effective and so stamp out the national opium and allied evils. there should be control of opium and other habit-forming drugs shipped to this country; and therefore that, to attain this end, it would be necessary to secure international cooperation and the sympathy of opium producing countries. Continuing, the proposal stated that this Government, impressed by the gravity of the opium and allied problems and the desirability of divesting them of local and unwise agitation, as well as by the necessity of maintaining the entire question upon the basis of fact, as determined by the Shanghai Commission, suggested the following tentative programine:

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The advisability of uniform national laws and regulations to control the production, manufacture, and distribution of opium, its derivatives and preparations;

The advisability of restricting the number of ports through which opium may be shipped by opium-producing countries;

The means to be taken to prevent at the port of departure the shipment of opium, its derivatives and preparations, to countries that probibit or wish to prohibit or control their entry;

The advisability of reciprocal notification of the amount of opium, its derivatives and preparations, shipped from one country to another;

Regulation by the Universal Postal Union of the transmission of opium, derivatives and preparations, through the mails;

/ The restriction or control of the cultivation of the poppy so that the production of opium will not be undertaken by countries which at present de not produce it, to compensate for the reduction being made in British India and China;

The application of the pharmacy laws of the Governments concerned to their subjects in the consular districts, concessions, and settlements in China:

The propriety of restudying treaty obligations and international agreements under which the opium traffic is at prosent conducted;

6) The advisability of uniform provisions of penal laws concerning offenses against any agreements that the Powers may make in regard to opium production and traffic;

The advisability of uniform marks of identification of packages con- taining opium in international transit;

5) Subsequently corrected to read: effective national laws and regulations.

The advisability of permits to be granted to exporters of opium, its derivatives and preparations:

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The advisability of reciprocal right of search of vessels suspected of carrying contraband opium:

to The advisability of measures to prevent the unlawful use of a flag by

vessels engaged in the opium traffic:

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The advisability of an international commission to be entrusted with the carrying out of any international agreement concluded.

It was made plain, however, that the United States had no desire to prescribe the scope of the Conference or to present a programme which might not be varied nor enlarged; but that the tentavive programme was submitted in the belief that it might serve as a basis at least for preliminary discussion, and a formal expression of opinion was invited on the topics outlined, and an enumeration requested of the other aspects of the opium problem which might seem of peculiar importance to any participating nation.

This circular proposal was made to those Governments which were represented in the International Opium Commission and to the Turkish Government. which, although invited to participate in the International Opium Commission, failed to do so because it had no diplomatic representative in the Far East.

The proposal for an International Opium Conference has been accepted by all the Governments to which it was made, except those of Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire..

The Government of the Netherlands very courteously suggested that the Conference meet at the Hague. This has proved to be agreeable to all of the Powers, and the question of the date of the Conference having been left to the Netherlands Government, that Government has finally found that December first next is acceptable, and invitations namning that date have been accordingly issued to the assenting Governments.

With regard to the tentative programine laid down in this Government's circular proposal, the following reservations, additional proposals and suggestions have been made by certain of the participating Powers:

The French Government making no objection to items (8). (9), (b). te), (), (), and (4) has remarked as to items (a), (g), 0), (, tud, and f of the tentative programme, that, item fe) demands the adoption of uniform national laws and regulations to control the production, manufacture and distribution of opium, its derivatives and preparations, and expresses the view that they do not believe that it is desirable that this question should be brought up. In regard to this item it has been explained to the French and British Governments that a mistake was made by this Government in using the words uniform national laws"; that they should have been effective national laws";

that item (g) proposes the application of the pharmacy laws of the Govern- ments concerned to their subjects in the consular districts, concessious amul settlements in China, and expresses the view that at present it would seem to be impossible to accomplish this purpose, as it would tend to place in the bands of the Chinese or nationals of countries not signatories to a convention, the

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