6
(d) Traffic in Cocaine.
The Advisory Committee noted that eighteen Governments had replied to the req
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from bond before regarding them as imports had been discontinued. The new regulations laid that all narcotics landed in bond would be considered as imports from the date of their E. ing.
The Committee eventually appointed a Sub-Committee to enquire into the possibility of
furnish information with regard to manufacture of cocaine and that twelve countries hadishing a system whereby uniformity in statistics could be obtained. The report of the Sub- an estimate of their requirements. In addition, estimated requirements had been receivel mitte is annexed (Annex 3). The Committee approved the suggestion in the report that the
large number of British Colonies.
The Secretariat is in correspondence with Peru and Bolivia regarding the production arit port of coca leaves as well as of crude cocaine and its salts.
ment prepared for the Sub-Committee by the Secretariat should be transmitted to all Govern- nts with a request for their observations. The Committee also recommended that the note pared by the British representative on the position of bonded warehouses in relation to the
The Netherlands representative informed the Committee that the Minister for Foreign affic (Annex 4) should be sent at the same time for the observations of the Governments.
was willing to ask the Minister for Labour to introduce a Bill authorising the Netherlands
ment to publish figures for the manufacture of cocaine the moment that the Committee had ARTICLE XIV OF THE CONVENTION: MEMORANDUM ON EXEMPTIONS SUBMITTED BY THE SIAMESE
similar figures from all other manufacturing countries. exception of Peru and Bolivia, the only statistics of manufacture which had not yet been able
The Committee noted that, wi were those from France and the Netherlands, and the French representative informed Committee that the French figures would be in the hands of the Secretariat in
to which he had referred.
REPRESENTATIVE.
The Siamese representative raised the question as to what exemption should be granted by a State to preparations which did not come within the terms of the Convention because the percentage
short time. The representative of the Netherlands requested the Secretariat to send humorphia or cocaine which they contained was less than that prescribed therein, A quantity French figures on their arrival in order that he might request his Government to take the of Thorphia, for instance, might be so diluted by a solvent as to bring it below 0.2 per cent and thus The progress report further dealt with the total annual requirements of opium and its de The Advisory Committee decided to recommend that the Governments should be asked tives for consumption, the discrepancies between statistics in the returns of the various coghether they had experienced any difficulties and, if so, how they had dealt with them, and to
the co-operation between China and Japan with regard to illicit traffic. The decisions on points will be found under different headings.
EXCHANGE Of InformatioN WITH REGARD TO THE SEIZURES OF Drugs.
The Advisory Committee attached the utmost importance, in connection with the s sion of the traffic, to the exchange of information between Governments of the si drugs. It therefore adopted the following resolution:
"The Advisory Committee recommends the Council to draw the attention of the Gos ments to the extreme desirability not only of direct communication to other imme interested Governments of the details of any seizures made, but also of a general T cation to the Secretariat of the League of Nations of all important seizures in order that fullest international publicity may be secured by the transmission, with the consent of Governments concerned, of this information by the Secretariat both to other Gowad not immediately concerned in the specific case and to the Press. "
WORLD PRODUCTION OF OPIUM.
TOMER
In reviewing the general situation with regard to the world production of opium, the b Committee noted the lack of accurate or detailed information for most of the producing The Committee understood that the investigations which the Chinese Government unde make this year are being made, but that the reports of these enquiries have not yet been The Committee noted that, according to the latest information in its possession, the position worse than last year.
In the course of the discussions, the French representative explained that his Gove had taken steps to prevent any passage through Tonkin of opium from Yunaan destined for at province in the South of China.
use the preparation to fall outside the scope and control of the Convention.
amunicate to the Secretariat any information in their possession on this subject in order that the matter might be discussed at the next session of the Committee.
VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS.
The Committee took note of resolutions and reports submitted by the following voluntary ganisations:
The Harvard International Assembly;
The International Anti-Opium Association; The Edinburgh Anti-Opium Association; The International Women's Suffrage Alliance; The League of Red Cross Societies.
CO-OPERATION BETWEEN JAPAN AND CHINA WITH REGARD TO ILLICIT TRAFFIC,
The Committee noted that negotiations were in progress between Japan and China regarding co-operation between these countries in order to suppress smuggling. A joint committee was about to be set up to examine this question.
INCREASE IN PENALTIES: PROPOSAL BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT.
The French representative informed the Committee that the French Government attached great importance to the question of increasing the penalities for illicit traffic in drugs. By reason of the ease with which these drugs can be smuggled, it considered that, however stringent the measures taken on the frontiers of a country, it was impossible to detect more than a very small quantity of the contraband drugs passed through. During the discussion, the French represen tative drew attention to the advisability of instituting the penalty of imprisonment, and, if possible, of prohibition of residence (interdiction de séjour). He called attention to the fact that certain courts were not always ready to apply with complete strictness the penalties laid down.
Attention was also called by the British representative to a new provision which had just been
of China would never under any circumstances legalise the production of opium in China and r the present recrudescence was due to the lack of control by the central Government in w provinces. The rumour which had been circulated regarding the establishment of an monopoly by the Chinese Government was untrue; that Government would never recede f the position which it had taken up in 1917 when the final prohibition of cultivation had b carried out.
The Chinese representative assured the Committee that the Government of the Rys adopted by Parliament in the Dangerous Drugs Act of the present year, which was to the effect
DISCREPANCIES IN STATISTICAL RETURNS AND THE POSITION OF BONDED WAREHOUSES
The Advisory Committee had before it the replies of the Japanese, British and United St Governments on the discrepancies between British and American statistics of exports of drus Japan and the Japanese statistics of imports of drugs from those countries. The Bri representative proposed that some arrangement should be come to between the Governments į the preparation, on a uniform basis, of their statistics of the import and export of drugs, whate uniform particulars could be given, more especially as to the countries from which the dr were consigned, the country of destination, if possible, the countries through which the dr passed by way of transit or transhipment, shipments out of bond and, if possible, the cou of origin, that is, the country in which the goods were manufactured or produced.
During the discussion on this question, the Japanese representative informed the Conti that the former practice in his country of waiting until narcotics landed in bond were withdra
that:
Any person "who, in Great Britain, aids, abets, counsels or procures a commission in any place outside Great Britain of any offence punishable under the provisions of any corre- sponding law in force in that place, or does any act preparatory to or in furtherance of any act which, if committed in Great Britain, would constitute an offence against this Act", shall be guilty of an offence against the Act.
The Committee adopted the following resolution:
"The Advisory Committee, considering that the infliction of severe penalties on persons engaged in the illicit traffic in narcotics is one of the best means of preventing the spread of that traffic, recommends the increase of penalties in certain countries, the adoption of the penalty of imprisonment, and, if possible, of prohibition of residence (interdiction de séjour), a very strict application of the penalties laid down, and the introduction of clauses providing for the punishment of infractions committed in foreign countries."
CONCLUSION.
In submitting this report to the Council, the Committee draws attention to the importance which it attaches to the collaboration of the United States of America and expresses the hope that this collaboration will be continued.
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