The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-11-30
Conference Called by Eng
land and United States
Opens Friday at the Cap
ital of Netherlands.
HOPE TO REGULATE
TRAFFIC IN DRUG
The American Delegation Is
Headed by Bishop Brent
of Philippines - England
Surprises.
(National News Association)

THE HAGUE. Holland. Nov. 30
Representatives from practically every
civilized country are here today pre-
pairing for the opening tomorrow of
the International Conference on Opium
that was called by David Lloyd-George
Chancellor of the British Exchequer
and Philander c. Knox, Secretary of
State of the United States. Among the
countries whose delegates will parti
cipate in the conference are France,
Germany. Italy, Japan, The Neither
lands, Persia, Portugal. Russia and
Siam.
The American delegation is compos-
ed of Bishop Charles Brent of the
Philippines (chairman), DIR. Hamilton
Wright, OF Maine, and Henry J. Finger
OF California delegates, and Frederick
L. Huidekoper. District of Columbia
and Wallace j. Young, of Illinois, sec
retaries.
object Of Meeting.
The avowed object of the conference
is the devising of ways and means for
the regulation Of the traffic in opium.
1t Is also hoped that. through the con-
ference. the leading nations of the
world will cooperate to place not only
the opium traffic, but that in cocaine
and morphine, under the control of in
tcrnational law. ~
The meeting IS the outcome of the
preliminary conference held at Shang-
hal. China. in 1909. The delegates will
II
Halr'-the .Binnenhof--. where the
Peace Conference OF 1907 was held,
and in which Queen Wilhelmina for
mally opens the sessions of the States
General The great building is elabor-
atcly decorated in honor Of the world
important meeting.
The delegates have full authority
from their government to enter into
agreements relative to the drug traffic.
1t is understood that the American del
egates have some important PROPOSE
tions to advance in connection with
the framing Of the proposed regula-
tions, but they would not disclose the
nature Of these proposals today. The
American delegates are said to strong
ly support Great Britain in the effort
to have restrictions applied to traffic
in morphine and cocaine. although the
original project contemplated merely
the control of the opium trade. The
effort to include the other habit-form-
ing drugs is alater development, but
one with which the American repre-.
sentatives are said to be in hearty ac-
cord.
Has Been Handicap.
Since the early days of Christian
missionary work in the Orient, the
workers have felt the handicap and
menace Of the opium evil and have
cast about for a means of relief Lat
terly. the ruin wrought by the habit
forming drugs has spread extensively
to other countries. and the peril in the
situation has been brought home to
Americans by an enormous increase in
the consumption Of such drugs in the
United States. according to the state
ment of one of the American delegates
today. He declared that there is now
an annual consumption of cocaine in
the United States alone OF upward of
100000 ounces, being forty times the
quantity justified by legitimate medi-
cal requirements.
The fact that England took the in
ltiative in helping the United States
bring about the conference is signifi-
cant. British interests would sustain
a loss. in England and colonies. aggre-
eating over 500. 900. 900 a year in ev-
ent Of the opium trafiic being suppress
ed. France and Siam also would sus-
tain heavy financial loss