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THE OPIUM COMMISSION.
The seventh session opened at 10.30 a.m. on the 15thfult.
A report dealing with the Opium question as it concerns Italy was presented by Signor Faraone. The Netherlands Report then came up for discussion, after which the Chief Com. mission for Japan in reply to questions put by Mr. R. Laidlaw, M.P., gave a series of statistics covering the sale of Opium Paste, the Commis- sion of Opium, and the Revenne derived there- from in Formosa.
Mr, Tang Kuo-an, replying to questions put to the Chinese Delegation at the last sitting by Sir Alexander Hosie, quoted figures from the Japanese Report on Formosa in support of the Chinese estimates of the per- centage of smokers to the population, and stated that the further information asked for would be supplied as soon as it could be obtained.
The Chief Commissioner for the Netherlands, Mr. de John, then read a statement comprising the declard policy of his Government, which is to gradually reduce the consumption of Opium in Netherlands-India.
The
ommission adjourned at 12 15 p.m. On re-assembling at 2.3 p.m. there a was brief discus- sion on the Austro-Hungarian report, and Dr. Rossler asked the Delegate for Austria-Hungary to obtain particulars as to the use of Opium in the Austrian concession at Tientsin. ho Persian report was held over for discussion until the question of the production of Opium generally comes before the Commission.
A proposal made by Dr. Rossler that a Com- mittee should be appointed to consider existing International Agreements on the opium traffic was accepted; and there followed a discussion as to the scope of enquiry generally to which the Commission should confiue itself.
The Commission adjourned at 3.45 p.m. until Thursday, the 18th February.
The eighth session of the Commission opened at 10.30 a.m. on the 18th February. After the I resident had announced the names of the delegates appointed as a Committe on Interna- tional Agreements affecting the traffic in Opium, Mr. Mackenzie King presented Report on the Opium question in Canada.
The Chinese report then came up for discus-
sion, but elicited no further remarks.
a
Monsieur ornillon, on behalf of the Revenue Committee, described the lines of investigation which it was proposed to follow, and pointed out the necessity for reducing all statistics to uniform units. For example, it was suggested that all monies should be reduced to English
that measures of currency, and
surface, weight, etc., should be expressed in metri- cal terms. All figures furnished should cover the years 1913/7. Some doubt was expressed by delegates as to the possibility of changing re- turns for fiscal periods into statistics for the calendar years.
Discussion ensued on a suggestion made by Mr. T'ang Kuo-an, that a Committee should be appointed to investigate the subject of Anti- opium remedies and to determine the means of curing the Opium habit without recourse to the actual drug or any of its derivatives. No decision was arrived at, and the matter was left over for further discussion.
The Japanese and American delegates put a number of questions with reference to the Persian and Indian reports respectively, an- swers to which will be laid on the table at the next sitting.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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number of scientific
to form & com. mittee of the kind suggested by Mr. Tang, and the investigation from a medical point of view of anti-opium remedies and of the properties and effects of opium and its products should be recommended by each Delegation to its own Governmemt. He moved an amendment to this effect.
Dr. Rössler and H. E. Tsunezire Miyaoka, supporting Mr. Tang's proposition, considered that their labours would be incomplete were the Commission to include no reference in its report | to the medical aspect of the opium question Eventually, the amendment moved by the Rt. Hon, Sir Cecil Clementi Smith was adopted by the Commission.
←
[March 1, 1909.
Resolution submitted by the United States, two were accepted, one was withdrawn after discus- sion, and one referred back for consideration.
Further Resolutions are to be brought for- ward by the Chinese and Netherlands Com- missioners at the next sitting. After they have met with the approval of the Commission, the Resolutions will be submitted to a Committee, for conversion into the form in which they will be finally presented to the respective Govern- meuts. The Commission adjourned at 4.40 p.m. It is anticipated that the labours of the Com- mission will terminate by the end of the first
week in March.
February 24th.
H. E. Mr. Miyaoka, Chief Commissioner for After the Japanese and British Delegations Japan, offered some additional information in had replied to questions put by Dr. Hamilton reply to a question put to his Delegation by Mr. Wright and Dr. Tenney, Monsieur Ratard, the R. Laidlaw, M.P., during the sixth session, Chief Commissioner for France, explained his relative to the regulations in force with regard attitude with regard to Mr. Tang's proposition. to opium in the leased territory of Kuantung. He quoted the correspondence between the Two resolutions brought forward conjointly United States and the French Government,by the American and British Delegation, and and pointed out that there was no suggestion embodying the sense of those Resolutions which therein regarding the study of the Opium were referred back for re-consideration at the question from medical point of fiew. He last meeting, were, after a short discussion, un- understood that the subject was to be considered animously adopted by the Commission. by the Commission purely from a commercial and administrative standpoint; consequently he agreed with the Rt. Hon. Sir Cecil Clementi smith as to the advisability of leaving the medical aspect of the opium problem to be investigated by the highest scientific and medical authorities of the two hemispheres.
The Commission adjourned at 11.40 a.m until Monday the 22nd instant.
SHANGHAI, February 22nd.
A brief report dealing with the production and sale of Opium in Holland, based on information received by telegraph, was presented by the Chief Commissioner for the Netherlands, Mr. A. A. de Jongh. The Chief Commissioner for Great Britain, in reply to questions put by the American Delegation at a former sitting, read a telegram which he had received giving details as to the ultimate disposal of the not imports of crude Opium into the United Kingdom. He was followed by H.E. Mr. Miyaoka, who gave some particulars concerning the import and consumption of Opium, the number of divans, etc., in Kuantung territory.
The printed reports for Portugal, Siam and the United States were distributed, and declared by the Chair to be before the House for con-
sideration. Some questions having been asked and auswered, the Committee appointed to deal with International Agreements covering the Opium traffic reported progress.
Copies of resolutions which the British and American Delegation intended to submit to the Commission having been distributed, the President addressed the House. He stated that the prime object of the Commission had now been reached, and he proceeded to indicate certain principles and considerations of import ance anent the discussion of the Resolutions which would be their final task. He opined that the results of the Commission were bound to be far-reaching and to have a two-fold character, direct and indirect. They would take shape eventually in some kind of formal action on the part of the various Governments represented, and they would also be productive of sentiment, which had been, and would always be, the final arbiter of all great questions. He considered that from the evidence before them it would be possible to reach wise conclusions, and he hoped that the Commission would pass worthy and practical resolutions on the impor- tant problem before them, otherwise the ques- tion might be thrown back into the hands of
The Commission adjourned at noon until the agitators, a result which they would all wish to
19th instant at 10.30 a.m.
The ninth session of the Commission opened at 10.30 a.m. on the 19th ult. with a renewal of the discussion on Mr. Tang Kuo-an's pro- position, that a committee should be appointed to consider the medical aspects of the opium question, and the best means of curing the opium habit without recourse to the actual drug or its derivatives.
The Rt. Hon. Sir Cecil Clementi Smith expressed sympathy with the object which Mr. T'ang had in view, and stated that he was not the opposed to any practical inquiry into subject; but he considered that the Commission did not possess amongst its members a sufficient
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avoid. He concluded by thanking the House for the fine temper and courteous spirit which had characterized the proceedings from the beginning.
February 23rd.
The Commission was occupied during the whole of its sitting in the consideration of Resolutions, based on a study of the Reports of the various Delegations, submitted by the Americau and British Commissioners. Of eight Resolutions put forward by the former, one was adopted in toto, one accepted after amendment, one was withdrawn, one was negatived, and four were referred back for re-consideration. The
British Delegation offered five resolutions, of which one was adopted as an amendment to a
The Netherlands brought forward two Re- solutions, amplifying in some ways those already accepted by the House. They were criticized by the Chief Commissioner for Great Britain, and by Mr. Tang Kuo-an, on behalf of the Chinese
elegation. Finally, on the suggestion of Dr. Hamilton Wright and Mr. Miyaoka, it was decided to incorporate the contents of the Resolutions in question as a Statement in the Minutes.
Mr. Tang Kuo-an then made an eloquent speech in support of four Resolutions which will, to-day be placed before the Commission by the Chinese Delegation.
COLLISION AT CHINKIANG.
A HULK SUNK,
News reached Shanghai last week from serious collision had Chinking that occurred at that port between the chartered H. A. L. steamer Ascania, commanded by Captain Gertz, who is also the owner, and
the H. A. L. Hulk Bremen, which was in
charge of Captain A. Lange, an old employee
of the company. The Ascania, says the Mercury report, was coming down river from Wuhu with a full cargo of rice bound to Canton and southern ports. When Chinkiang was reached the ship slowed down and began to swing, in order to anchor or go alongside the Bremen, as she had to exchange her river pass.- From what can be learned, it seems some- thing went wrong with the steering gear and the vessel refusing to answer her helm, crashed into the bow of the Bremen, tearing the hulk from her moorings, when she drifted down and sank in deep water nearly opposite Geddes and Co.'s hulk. The Ascania as the result of the collision suffered some damage about the bows, full particulars of which are not yet to hand. The first news received stated that there had been a heavy loss of life among the Chinese on the hulk, but the latest advices received by Messrs. Melchers and Co. report hat there was no loss of life at all. The hulk, which was full of cargo, will be a total loss as she is sunk in about forty feet of water.
News has reached the East of the death of the Rev William S. Ament, D.D., a well-known He came missionary of the American Board. to China in 1877 and spent most of his time in Peking, where he was identified with a wide range of public interests. He was a conspicuous figure during and after the siege in Peking, both for courage and enterprise. At the Cen- tenary Missionary Conference of 1907 he was Chairman of the Committed of Comity and Federation.
For some time past his health had been failing and in December he was removed to America in a semi-unconscious state for a surgical operation. He died of cerebral affection at San Francisco last month. Dr. Ament leaves a wife, who accompanied him on this sad journey, and a son who will shortly graduate from Öberlen College, Ohio,
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