CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923 — Page 231

C

[Communicated to the Council,

the Members of the League

and the Delegates at the Assembly.]

225

A. 101. 1923. IV.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS,

Geneva,

September 26th, 1923.

TRAFFIC IN OPIUM AND OTHER DANGEROUS DRUGS.

REPORT OF THE FIFTH COMMITTEE TO THE ASSEMBLY. (Rapporteur: Mile BONNEVIE, Delegate of Norway.)

The Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium and other Dangerous Drugs has now been at work for two years. Last year it laid before the Assembly a report of the preparatory work already performed, and of its plans for further progress. This year we have before us again two reports showing how these plans are working, and proving also the necessity of proposing further steps to be taken by the Council as well as by the Governments in order to bring about the full co- operation between all nations without which, as expressed by the Advisory Committee (Docu- ment C. 37. M. 91. 1923): "its efforts must be nullified and the Convention must break down". The two sessions held by the Advisory Committee this year have been of particular impor- tance, in view of the fact that the Government of the United States of America had, on the invita- tion of the Council, sent a special Delegation to co-operate with the Committee. The following proposals have, by this delegation, been submitted to the Advisory Committee:

I. "If the purpose of the Hague Opium Convention is to be achieved according to its spirit and true intent, it must be recognised that the use of opium products for other than medicinal and scientific purposes is an abuse and not legitimate."

Z "In order to prevent the abuse of these drugs, it is necessary to exercise the control of the production of raw opium in such a manner that there will be no surplus available for non-medicinal and non-scientific purposes."

These proposals were, after a very full examination, accepted by the Committee and recom- mended to the League of Nations as embodying the general principles on which the International Convention of 1912 is based and by which the Governments should be guided in dealing with the abuse of dangerous drugs.

In accepting these proposals, the representatives of the Governments of France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal and Siam, made the following reservation:

"The use of prepared opium and the production, export, and import of raw opium for that purpose are legitimate so long as that use is subject to and in accordance with the provisions of Chapter II of the Convention".

The representative of the Government of India also accepted the American proposals, with the following reservation:

"The use of raw opium, according to the established practice in India, and its pro- duction for such use, are not illegitimate under the Convention”.

India concurs also in the reservation made by the other countries mentioned above.

In this connection may also be mentioned the declaration made by Lord Hardinge, Delegate

of India, at the twelfth meeting of the Fifth Committee with regard to the control of the sale and consumption of opium in India:

"In consequence of observations that have reached me in connection with my remarks the other day on the subject of opium, I would like to make the following state-

ment:

"My words on that occasion were: 'Opium is now, and has for three years been, a matter dealt with by the Provincial Governments and in all Provinces, except Assam, it is administered by Indian Ministers".

"I would like to amplify that statement by saying that the administration of the control of opium in all but one province is in the hands of an Indian Minister and the power to deal with the question rests with bodies which contain an effective majority of members elected by the people. If, therefore, popular demand exists for a modifica tion of the policy hitherto followed, and if a Provincial Council wishes to restrict still further the sale of opium for eating in India or to prohibit the sale of opium except for medical and scientific purposes, it is, in all provinces but one, open to the Indian Minister to initiate legislation in that sense. In Assam, the one province referred to, I understand that the Government has concerted, in consultation with Indian Members of the Legis- lature, a scheme for further progressive restrictions.

"I would further add that, in the event of any such legislation being initiated in any province, it would undoubtedly receive support from the Government of India.” $. d. N. Laso (P.) 1686) (4.) 9/23 Impr. Kundis.

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