The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-05-07

Opium Treaty Should BE Sign
ed at Washington, Authority
Declares.

By TARAKNATH DAS.
On the eve of the, departure Of
the American commission to
Geneva to consult with the opium
advisory committee Of the League
Of Nations it will be of great
interest to the American people
to know that the British secretary
OF the League of Nations does not
want to see America because she
is not in the League of Nationsl
take the leadership in this opium
question.
"Mere Expensive Folly"
The following is the exact letter
written to one of the American
professors interested in Americas
entering in the League Of Nations:
''Seciete Des Nations.
League of Nations.
Geneva, Oct. l6, 1922.
Dear Mr.. -. american professor):
Mr.. s. has just rungs me up and
told me that he has had a letter
from you this morning, in which
you say you are not very happy
opium question, as you hear talk
on every side of an international
opium conference being called by
the United States. l wrote a short
note on this particular question on
Saturday for Mr.. S. to send Mr.. F.,
and am sending you a copy in case
1t may be any use to you.
81 personally do not mind who
does what, so long as progress is
made, but the one thing to be
avoided. ! feel sure, is an adequate
revision of the opium convention.
An international conference called
by the league in years time
could probably produce a most eff
fective revision of the present con.
Nention, as by that fairly accurate
statistics should be available as to
the cultivation, production, manu-
facture and consumption Of opium,
its derivatives and other drugs, but
for a conference to be called at an
early date, by a country which has
talSene no part in the international
movement of the last eighteen
months appears to me mere ex-
pensive folly. -.
The invitation Ito United States
Government to appoint a member
on the opium advisory committee
was sent on Saturday morning, and
in view OF the rumor of the con.
ference 1t was agreed by the Sec
rotary General, Mr.. s and myself
that the letter should be \ full
document instead Of usual formal
request. ! enclose a copy"
Yours sincerely.
Signed RACHEL CROWLEY.
League to Get Credit.
II Is now fully confirmed that
Surgeon General Blue was an.
pointed by the President several
months ago to the league advisory
committee on opium, at the invita-.
ton of the League Of Nations. It
is not sure whether the Govern
ment ever knew that the sole mo-
tive of the league. to invite the
United States to join the opium
advisory committee, was that the
United States would not call a con.
ference and the league will get the
credit for. all that the United
States has done since 1880 when
she made IT penal offense for any
American citizen to trade in opium
in China.
The same lady official Of the
IedBue "iIIlHS 10 an FnRIlSn mus
sionary gentlemen international
Missionary Council. Edinburgh
House 2. Eaton Gate. London, S
W.. A few months ago has ex-
pressed the following opinion. of
fetal opinion Of the opium section
of the league.
1T is obviously etxra primarily diff
ficult, II not absolutely impossible.
at the present time 10 restrict the
growth OF the opium plant TO
such proportions as is necessary for
the legitimate use Of the nations"
In the same letter Dame Crowley
writes:
Lord Chelmsford, the delegate
of India, has asked me to put in
TO him what he calls moral in.
dictment on India's spiritual opium
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