Omaha daily bee., 1911-12-08

the senate gave It's advice and consent
on the 2ith day OF July last.
international Opium Commission.
IN a special message transmitted to
the congress on January T. 1911 IN which
l concurred In the recommendations made
BY the secretary OF state In regard 10
certain needful legislation for the con-
troll Of our interstate and foreign traffic
In opium and other menacing drugs. J
quoted from my annual message OF De
eember Z. 1909. IN which / announced that
the results Of the International Opium
commission held at Shanghai in Febru-
airy. 1900. at the invitation OF the United
States. had been laid before this govern
ment: that the report OF that commits
sion showed that China was making re-
mafkabe progress and admirable efforts
toward the eradication Of the opium evil
that the interested governments had not
permitted their commercial interests to
prevent their corporation In this re-
form. and, as, a result Of collateral in
testiEations Of the opium question IN
this country, / recommended that the
manufacture sale and use Of opium in
the. United states should be vigorously
Npitai DiAth ny lNHi6laliUNs
Prior to that time and I'm continuation
OF the policy OF this government to secure
the cooperation Of the interested nations.
the United states proposed an lnterna-
tional opium conference with full powers
for the purpose of clothing with force Of
international law the resolutions adopted
by the above mentioned commission, to-
gether with their essential corollaries.
he s.Nl.
spohded TO the proposal OF this govern
ment. and, ! am glad 10 be able TO an
nounoe, 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 accord with the
spirit OF that act. thus stamping out, in
a measure, the Interstate traffic in opium
and other habit-forming drugs. But. al
though ] have urged on the congress the
passage OF certain measures for federal
control Of the interstate aud foreign
traffic In these drugs, no action yet has
been taken. In view OF the fact that
there is now sitting at The Hague so inn
portant conference, which has under
review the municipal laws OF the differ
ent nations for the mitigation OF their
opium and other allied evils, a confer
ence which will certainly deal with the
international aspects of these evils, It
seems to me most essential that the con-
gross should take immediate action ON
the anti-narcotle legislation to which I
have already called attention by a spe-
cial message.
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 a
series of proclamations, OF the minimum
tariff Of the United states to importa-
lions from the several countries. and /
stated that. in its general operation, Sec
tion Of the hew tariff law had proved
guaranty OF continued commercial
peace, although there were. unfortunately,
Instances where foreign governments
dealt arbitrarily with American interests
within their jurisdiction in a manner in
furious and inadequate. During the last
year some instances OF discriminatory
treatment have been removed, but l re-
greet to say that there remain a few cases
of differential treatment adverse to the
commerce of the United States. While
none OF these instances now appears to
amount to undue discrimination in the
sense OF section OF the tariff law of
August 5. 1909, they are all exceptions to
that complete degree Of equality OF tariff
treatment that the Department OF State
has consistently sought to obtain for
American commerce abroad.
while the double tariff feature of the
tariff law OF 1909 has been amply justified
by the results achieved In removing
former and preventing new. undue dts
ordinations against American commerce.