CO129-486 - Public Offices - 1924 — Page 203

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If as

monopoly to any country producing the raw material.

suggested, the prices would increase after his scheme, it was

a proof that the present situation was a bad one. If cocaine

can be sold at e much lower price in pre sent circumstances,

it must be because of the excessive output, a good deal of

which finds its way into illicit channels. When it is said

that the manufacturers would be in a state of uncertainty

as to the amount that they could produce, air inlcolm Delevingne

saw no reason to suppose that if attempts were not do to

send up the price unduly, the countries which did not manufcoture

their cocaine at the moment would manufacture in the future,

when his scheme wagput into operation. ven if some comtries

started to manufacture for their own use the advantage in the

open market would always lie with the country which produced in

larger quantities. The greater the number of countries, however,

which produced what they required for their own legitimate

consumption, the betser. If in the case of any of the countries

which at present manufacture, the proportionate reduction in the

panu acture would make it impossible for its factories to cmtinue,

the allocation could be so arranged as not to squeeze such

factories out of existence. Bir Malcolm Delevingne did not

think it would be unreasonable or difficult to establish a boycott

to the extent of refusing to import raw material or manufactured

drugs from countries which did not adhere to the Convention.

He did not agree to the proposal of one of the members, suggesti

a board composed of experts not responsible to any Government.

Finally, it must be borne in mind that the draft presented is a

first draft only, which may require to be modified in certain

details.

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