The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-07
URGES SEIZURE
Of DRUGS ON
SHIPS
Narcotic Board Will Seek In
ternationaI Action Against
Evil.
BY w. III. ATKINS,
International News Service.

nations into international agree
ment to allow search, seizure, and
confiscation Of all drugs found
illegitimately on ships used as car
riers by dope smugglers, it was
learned today.
The Government Narcotic Board,
comprising Secretaries Hughes,
Hoover and Mellon, recognize this
as the only alternative which this
Government now can adopt to
check the drug menace, which is
claiming a greater number of
vitims in the United States than
in any other country on the globe.
Methods Are Studied.
The boards conclusion, follows a
world survey of the drug evil, and
study of possible methods to cope
with it at it's source. An expert
survey of the problem, in all it's
angles, has just been completed
for the Government by the Far
Eastern division of the Commerce
Department. recommendations pre-
pared by F. r. Eldridge. chief of
the Far Eastern division of the
Department of Commerce, were
made public today.
The Government, it was declared,
faces these three alternatives in
war on the drug traffic both within
and outside the borders of the
United States:
Worldwide control of produc-
ton of opium and coca leaves; q
worldwide enforcement OF strict
supervision over manufacture and
distribution of drugs; 3-interna-
tional convention or agreement re-
garding seizure and confiscation of
drugs found illegitimately on ship
board.
After all, the world is, or should
be, on a crusade against the
Legitimate drug traffic, and the
right of visit and search, of seizure,
and of all other rules regarding
contraband of war, should apply
with equal force against a weapon
more deadly than cannon and with
a growing list of fatalities laid at
its door each year-the illegitimate
drug" said Eldridge's report.
In his statement today Eldrigde
said that since practically all illicit
drugs finding their way into Amer
lean consumption are struggled into
the country, the only effective way
to handle the situation is through
drastic control of the transit of
drugs in international commerce.
Before this is attempted certain
foreign manufacturing countries
must perfect their control over the
manufacture and distribution of
drugs. Control of the production of
crude drugs seems out of the Ques-
ton at present, he added.
Facts Overlooked.
Certain outstanding facts re-
garding the international traffic
in drugs seems to be overlooked in
popular discussion Of the drug
evil" said Eldridge.
I'm 1912 most of the nations of
the world signed a convention at
The Hague whereby they undertook
to pass such laws applicable to
their own borders as would limit
the trade in drugs to legitimate
medical use. A great many of
these nations have now passed such
laws and have notified The Hague
of their full adherence to The
Hague convention. The most
prominent exceptions are certain
European and Asiatic countries and
one or two countries Of South
| America. The United States, in the
Harrison act, has established strict
| control over the use Of drugs for
medical use. The important point
in the present drug situation, there
fore. is the fact that practically all
| of the Illicit use Of drugs in tins
country is of struggled origin.
Most of the opium used in this
country originates in Asia Minor.
This is also believed to be the
source of much Of the illicit traffic
Certain European countries are the
Intermediates through which these
Illicit drugs reach this country.
"In the case Of these countries
the local administration Of any laws
to govern the drug traffic is en-
barrassed by lax governmental au-
thority. Some are handicapped in
| administering national laws for the
control Of the drug traffic by their
peculiar system of government,
which it is proposed to remedy by
constitutional amendments.
Asia Minor Main Source.
''The fact that most of the opium
used in this country originates
from Asia Minor. however, makes
anA attempt to regulate the inter
national drug traffic by control Of
production almost impossible. In
certain middle eastern countries,
WHITE HUGH opium Is SrOWnS II -
handled as government monopoly by
the government. Little, If any, Of
such drug is believed to reach the
United States.
Much opium Is also grown in
parts of the Far East, but it's growth
is in some countries illegal and it
is only countenancad and encour-
aged by local military governors as
ready source of revenue. The
traffic in such opium Is almost en-
tirely confined to these countries,
as there are no manufacturers of
the drug and it's handling in q crude
state by smugglers is most difficult.
"Other oriental countries are ap-
parently taking stringent measures
to enforce administration Of local
drug restriction laws, as evidenced
by the recent outcries of certain
of their drug manufacturers. par
ticularly growers and manufacturers
Of coca leaves.
THE above situations all have a
direct bearing on the growth of the
Illicit drug traffic in this country,
for the relatively high value of
small quantity of manufactured
opium, or cocaine, makes the
smuggling noA only extremely diff
ficult to detect, but extremely
profitable as well. 1t is we'll to
remember, therefore, that even dras-
| tic rest riction Of the Iepitimat0