PENTA.
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H
such a control, but being chiefly concerned with the prossing problca of prepared opium, they moroly outlined the measures to be talon.
The relevant articles of chapter 3 i.e. articlos 10, 12 and 13,
which lay down measures for the supervision of persons and buildings and for tio control of manufacture, imports, sale, distribution and
export of drugs are not of an imperative charactor. They simply lag
down that "the Contracting Powers shall use their best endeavours to
control
shall use thoir best endeavours to restrict
shall use their bost endeavours to adopt
11
....
The measures contemplated are not only optional but indefinite: "to obtain information respecting the establishment and premises shall use their best endoavours to adopt
measures to ensure
that morphine
etc.......
shall not be exported except when
11
consigned to persons furnished with liconces or permits
(without specifying what form theee measures should tale) etc.
Finally, they make no provision for a whole series of operations which give poculiar facilities for smuggling, such as trans-shipments, warehousing, transit through free ports and free zones, or deliveries
by post.
It is not surprising therefore that the meshes of the net have
proved too wide. They need to be drawn closer. Provisions which
formerly wore optional must be made binding; the measures contemplated
in the first convention must be more closely defined and amplified.
A large field is thus open before us and our work may produce a rich
harvest.
It appears indeed that the Netherlands Government shares this view, since, in its "Observations on the and Upium Conferonce," it
writes us follows:-
-
"If the Opium Convention and the system of import cortificates or some similar system Were generally oz effectively put in force, the abuses would be satisfactorily checked, and it would no longer be necessary to take measures to limit the production and manufacture."
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