The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-08

fry, recommended that the manufacture, sale, and of opium in the United States should be more vigorously con trolled by legislation.
 Prior to that time and in continuation of the policy of this government to secure the cooperation of the interested nations, the United States proposed an internation- al opium conference with full powers for the purpose of clothing with the force of international law the resolution adopt ed by the above mentioned commission, together with their essential corollaries. The other powers concerned cordially re- sponded to the proposal of this govern ment and, l am glad to be able to an- nounce, representatives of all the powers assembled in conference at The Hague on the first of this month.
 Since the passage of the opium eXelu- sion act more than 20 states have been animated to- modify their pharmacy laws and bring them in accord with the spirit of that act, thus stamping out, to a measure, the intrastate traffic in opium and other habit forming drugs. But, although I have urged on the Con- gress the passage Of certain measures for federal control of the interstate and foreign traffic in, these drugs, no action has yet been taken. In view of the fact that there is not sitting at The Hague so important a conference, which has under review the municipal laws of the different nations for the mitiga- tion of their opium and other allied evils a conference which will certainly deal with the international aspects of these evils, it seems to me most essen tial that the Congress should take im- mediate action on the anti-narcotic leg, islation to which I have already called attention by a special message.
 Buenos Ayres Conventions The four conventions signed at the UDa,, Buenos Ayres, providing for the regula- tion of trade marks, patents, and copy rights, and for the arbitration of pecu- niary claims, have, with the advice ana consent of the Senate, been ratified on the part of the United States and the | notifications have been deposited with the government of the Argentine re- public in accordance with the require ments of the conventions. l am not l advised that similar action has been l taken by any other of the signatory governments.
 | One of the notable advances in inter- national morality accomplished in recent years was an arrangement entered into l on April 13 of the present year between the United States and other powers for l the repression of the circulation of ob- scene publications.
 FOreign Trade Relations | In my last annual message I referred to the tariff negotiations of the Depart | ment of State with foreign countries in connection with the application, by se- 1 ries of proclamations, of the minimum 1 tariff of the United States to importa- l tions from the several countries, ana l stated that, in it's general operation, 1 section of the new tariff law had
 proved a guaranty of continued com mercial peace, although there were, un- l fortunately instances where foreign gov 1 ernments dealt arbitrarily with Ameri- can interests within their Jurisdiction in l a manner injurious ana lhequitapie. | During the past year some instances | of discriminatory treatment have been removed. but I regret to say that there 1 remain a few cases of differentiaI treat | ment adverse to the commerce Of the | Tlntted states While none of these i'm | stances now appears to amount to un- due discrimination in the sense Of sec tion of the tariff law or August 3,
 1909. they are all exceptions 'o .na' is con
 plete degree of equality of tarin treat
 ment that the Department of State ahas conscientiousy sought to obtain for American commerce abroad.
 While the double tariff feature of the tariff law of 1903 mas been amply justified by the results achieved in re- moving former and preventing new, undue discriminations against Amerl- II can commerce, 1t is believed that the time has come for the amendment of this feature of the law In such. way as to provide a graduated means of meet ling varying degrees of discriminatory treatment of American commerce in Il foreign countries well as to protect
 the financial interests abroad of Amer
 ican citizens against arbitrary and in- furious treatment on the part of for eign governments through either legis- Native or administrative measures. ,lN It would also seem desirable that the
 maximum tariff of the United States
 
 CONTINUED ON FACE ol