CO129-486 - Public Offices - 1924 — Page 244

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atput of narcotios doubled or nearly trebled, increasing from

,189 to 8,939 kilogrammes of morphine and from 344 to 897 kilo-

gemmos of heroin.

Thoy demonstrate that trade These statistics are convincing. requires e considerable margin in order to form reseryes for the ontingencies of bad harvests, epidemics, fluctuating demand ato. he existence of this large margin seeme inconsistent with the fixing of an amual proportion for the Lanufacturing countries.

The Goverments This quote must be capable of constant revision.

of manufacturing countries should undertake to compel their manu- facturers to consent to any sudden reduction of manufacture which right bemcessary, in order to allow any country mich decided to begin manufacture for the purpose of ite own internal consumption, and even for the purpose of entering the foreign trade, to take its place with the other manufacturing countries.

What are the principles which should guide the preparation of the proposed Convention?

In the first place, the Convention must be one thoroughly accept- able to all Governments, for if only three or four countries refused

the indus← to adhere, it would be entirely deprived of its efficacy; tries in question would transfer themselves to these countries and would thus escape international control.

The future Convention must therefore be based on the principle of equality. It is essential that it should not result in perpetuat- ing legally the advantageous situation of the present producing, manufacturing the trading countries by placing them for the future competition. Any measures which; practically beyond the reach of would hamper free and feir competition on a Zooting of equality, eny suggestion of confirming monopolies and privileges would male the con- suming countries fool that they were being exploited, would impel them to cultivate and manufacture themselves, end would so tend to create now sources of production and indirectly encourage