Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-12-13

uleuL Ol al mleTudtlOudl pIAZ6 ECOuA y
mentioned in my last annual message,
embodying stipulations providing for
an alternative procedure which would
remove the constitutional objection to
that part OF The Hague convention
which provides that there may be an
appeal to the proposed court from the
decisions OF national courts, has re-
ceived the signature of the govern
ments parties to the original conven-
eminent of the United States. together
with the prize court convention.
The deposit of the ratifcations with
the government of the Netherlands
awaits action by the powers on the
declaration, signed at London on Feb
ruary &c. 1909, of the rules Of interna-
tional law to be recognized within the
meaning Of article seven Of The Hague
convention for the establishment Of an
international prize court.
Fur-seaI Treaty.
The fur.seal controversy, which for
nearly twenty-five years has been the
source of serious friction between the
United States and the powers border
| ing upon the north Pacific ocean,
whose subjects have been permitted to
engage in pelagic sealing against the
| fur.seal herds having their breeding
grounds within the jurisdiction of the
United States, has at last been salts
factorily adjusted by the conclusion of
| the North Pacific sealing convention
entered into between the United
States, Great Britain. Japan and Rus
STA on the seventh of July last. This
convention is conservation measure
of very great Importance, and II It is
carried out in the spirit Of reciprocal
concession and advantage upon which
it is based, there is every reason to be.
lieve that not only will it result in pre-
serving the fur-seal herds Of the north
Pacific ocean and restoring them to
their former value for the purposes OF
commerce, but also that it will afford
a permanently satisfactory settlement
of a question the only other solution
of which seemed to be the total de-
struction of the fur seals! In another
aspect, also, this convention is of i'm.
portance in that 1t furnishes an illus
tration of the feasibility Of securing q
general international game law for the
protection of other mammals Of the
sea, the preservation of which is OF
Importance to all the nations Of the
world.
The attention OF congress is especil-
ly called to the necessity for legisla-
ton on the part of the United States
for the purpose of fulfilling the obltga-
lions assumed under this convention,
to which the senate gave its advice
and consent on the twenty-fourth day
Of July last. siat
International Opium Commission.
" In a special message transmitted to
the congress on the seventh of Janu-
airy, i 911 In which concurred in the
recommendation made by the secre-
full legislation for the control OF our
interstate and foreign traffic in opium
and other menacing drugs, quoted
from my annual message Of Decem-
Der Z, 1909, in which l announced that
the results OF the International Opium
commission held at Shanghai in Feb
ruary, 1909, at the invitation of the
| United States, had been laid before
this government; that the report Of
that commission showed that China
was making remarkable progress and
admirable efforts toward the eradica-
1 ton of the opium evil; that the inter-
ested governments had not permitted
| their commercial interests to prevent
their cooperation In this reform; and.
as result of collateral investigations
OF the opium question in this country.
I recommended that the manufacture,
sale and use OF opium in the United
States should be more rigorously con-
trolled by, legislation.
| Prior to that time and in continue
ton OF the policy Of this government
! to secure the cooperation OF the inter-
ested nations, the United States pro-
posed an International opium confer
ence with full powers for the purpose
of clothing with the force. of interna-
tional law the resolutions adopted by
the aforementioned commission, to-
gether with their essential corollaries.
The other powers concerned cordially
responded to the proposal Of this gov.
ernment, and, am glad to be able to
announce, representatives OF all the
powers assembled in conference at
The Hague on the first of this month.
Since the passage Of the opium-ex-
clusion act, more than twenty states
have been animated to modify their
pharmacy laws and bring them in ac-
cord with the spirit of that act, thus
stamping out, to measure, the in
trastate tranic in opium and other
habit-forming drugs. But, although I
have urged on the congress the pass
age of certain measures for federal
control Of the Interstate and foreign
trahic in these drugs. no action has
yet been taken. In view Of the fact
that there is now sitting at The Hague
SO important conference, which has
under review the municipal laws of
the different nations for the mitigation
OF their opium and other allied evils, a
conference which will certainly deal
with the international aspects of these
evils, 1t seems to me most essential
that the congress should take immedi-
ate action on the anti-narcotic legisla-
ton to which / have already called at
tention by special message.
Foreign Trade Relations Of tho United
States.
In my last annual message re-
ferred to the tariff negotiations Of the
department Of state with foreign coun-
tries in connection with the applica-
ton, by series of proclamations. of
the minimum tariff Of the United
States to importations from the sew
eral countries, and / stated that, In its
general operation, section of the
new tariff law had proved a guaranty
of continued commercial peace, al
though there were, unfortunately, in
stances where foreign governments
dealt arbitrarily with American inter-
: =