Evening star., 1923-05-04
START Permanent
WAR
Conference Organizers Here
Elect Or. George M. Kober
to Craftsmanship.

NJ. kober, dean OF Georgetown Oni-
versity Medical School. as permanent
chairman. and Rexford L. Holmes of
Washington. organizer OF the move
ment as permanent secretary. was
created at todays meeting of the con-
ference at the Willard Hotel. Or.
Kober was authorized to appoint four
teen vice chairmen. who, together
with himself and Mr.. Holmes. are to
act as an executive committee to
carry on the business of the confer
ence until its next annual meeting
Mrs. w. c. Roe. for many years
this morning on the evil effects and
rapid spread Of the insidious drug
peyote, among tho Indians, and
resolution was adopted by the con-
to take steps to wipo out this menace
before it spread among the white
population. Other speakers this
morning included Wayne &. Wheeler.
counsel for the Anti-Saloon League;
DR.. w. c. Woodward, former health
officer; DR. Amos o. Squire of Sing.
Sing prison and Claude Records of
Kansas City. Mrs Laura B. Evans
of Taylorville, ILL.,, presided at the
meeting.
U. $. seeks to Curb Traflc.
Continual efforts OF the government
to bring about international agree
ments to curb the drug traffic and
producing countries to curtail the
supply to the needs of medicine and
science were described in speech by
Secretary of State Hughes, read in
liam Phillips, before the Anti-Narcotic
convention at banquet held last
night at the New Willard Hotel.
The policy of the United States in
regard to traffic in narcotic drugs is
unmistakable." Mr.. Hughes declared
&c n friN q N "a ~ a n
domestic distribution to medicinal and
scientific uses. The laws on this sub
ject are administered by the Treas
ury Department. The Department Of
State is concerned with the traffic in
so far as it is affected by our rela-
tionS with foreign powers. In this
respect, too, our policy is well de-
fined.
L. s. Adheres to Treaty.
TT has been the consistent policy
OF the United States" he continued.
ito adhere to the letter and spirit Of
this treaty and to urge upon other
nations the advisability of adherinG
to it and of enacting Legislation which
will carry out its provisions.
"Only last year Congress enacted a
law which provides, among other
things, that no narcotic drugs may be
exported to countries which are not
parties to this convention and
which do not have effective systems
Of control over domestic distribution.
The Pan-American conferencn 1T
tion, submitted by the delegation Of
the United States, declaring its ap-
proval of The Hague convention and
urging those American states which
have not already done SO to ratify II
and to enact legislation to put 1t into
effect
"It will thus be seen that the United
States is not only bound by existing
international treaty obligation to CO.
operate with other nations in the
suppression Of the Illicit traffic in
narcotic drugs, but has made this CO.
operation sine qua non on the part
of any nation desiring to obtain mar
cotics in this country.
Large Illicit Trafac.
ut is quite true that there exists a
large Illicit traffic in narcotic drugs
The origin of most Of these drugs.
am convinced, is found to be either in
those countries which have not rati-
fed The Hague opium convention and
made it effective by domestic legisla-
tion. or in countries which. having
ratified the convention. do not effec-
lively control the domestic production
or distribution of narcotics. We are
bending every effort to induce the ma
tions to ratify The Hague convention
and to use the mechanism of that in
strument to the utmost extent pos
trade. To that end we are in constant
communication with other nations.
exchanging information which Will
lead to the detection and apprehension
of Illicit dealers. I am happy to say
that Illicit traffic Is daily becoming
internationally more difficult.
General Agreement Needed.
"It is apparent. however. that ade-
auate progress cannot .be made in
the suppression Of this traffic until
there is general agreement upon
traffic. The position of the govern
ment of the United States is that
the legitimate use of narcotic drugs
Is limited to medical and scientific
purposes. Further, it is the position
Of this government that the illegiti-
less production of the raw product
for other than medical or scientific
purposes is stopped. Investigations
have shown that large. or uncon-
trolled production means large con-
sumption. By recent resolution of
Congress the President is called upon
to urge those governments in whose
territories opium and cocoa leaves
are produced to reduce their produc-
tion to an amount sufficient for
strictly medicinal and scientific uses
and to report to Congress at Its next
session.
TT is the intention of the Depart
nlent of State to endeavor to bring
about an international recognition Of
this principle. The Hague conven-
tion cooperation to this end. and to
whatever extent that convention
proves to be Inadequate. 1t should be
appropriately supplemented"