Evening star., 1924-11-15
OPIUM DENSlEFT
OPEN FOR WOMEN
Long Debate at Geneva Con-
ference Fails to Bring
Positive Bans.
BY the Associated Press

; BY the Associated Press
GENEVA, November 15.-Whether
women should be permitted to enter
public opium dens in the Far East
formed the subject of long debate
at yesterdays session of the Interna-
| tional Opium Conference. and before
the question was settled various
speakers brought in the French revo-
luton, the League of Nations COW
enant, woman'S rights and the lead
erShlp of France and England as ex-
ponents of perfected civiliZa ton.
Eventually the conference decided to
omit the word women" from the list
OF persons who should be excluded
from opium smoking dens.
Incidentally, NJ. Vanwettum of Hol-
land, pre- idsnt of the conference
ruled that II was undeSira BILE in an
agreement being framed by the con-
ference to refer to opium smoking
houses as "dens." because he thought
the word den implied something
lniquitous. He requested that places
authorized in the convention be
known as public smokers" as a more
proper term for such establishments
which are under government control.
Delete Word "Europenns."
The French draft of the convention
originally provided that entry to
public opium smoking houses should
be prohibited to Europeans, women
and minors. China succeeded in hav-
ing the word Europeans" deleted by
contending that reference to Euro
peans involved racial discrimination
against Asiatics. because it implied
that Europeans should not mix with
Asiatics. Alfred SEE, Chinese Minister
to the United States. thought that
each country could exclude Euro
peans, but that 1t would be best not
to put the exclusion in cold type
Japan led the campaign to remove
the reference to women. basing its
stand on the idea that the prohibition
OF women involved sex discrimination
Supported by the Chinese delegation
NJ. Sugimura. chief of the Japanese
delegates. declared that when the
French revolution proclaimed the
rights of man 1t inferentialIy pro-
claimed the rights and equality of
women
Moreover. he said. the covenant of
the league itself insisted on equality
OF treatment for men and women, and
that while he did not want women to
enter opium dens. it seemed to Japan
most unfair in principle to exclude
them
Delegates NOnplussed.
The European delegates seemed nom
pio'oou' oid -h. cQB llluE d dppedieQ 10
the chivalry Of France and England
to stand for women's rights.
Replying to Japan, NJ. Clinchant of
France declared he merely wanted to
remark as Frenchman that there was
no historic relation between the French
revolution and opium smoking The
question of excluding women was
simply one of public decency and pro-
priety, and, whatever the conference
decided, France would continue to bar
all women from smoking houses in
IndoChina. England made similar
announcement for the British colonies
The Chinese. who contended that
Chinese residents in Far Eastern COL
onieS outside China can obtain opium
too easily. argued for complete sup
preston of opium dens, because they
breed crime and make new opium adj
diets. Authorization of opium dens,
however, remains in tho convention.
Another main topic of debate in
this convention to curtail opium smok-
ing was whether the sale of opium
should be entirely in the hands of
government employees. England IA
vored this system, insisting that all
opium agents should be prohibited
from accepting commissions on sales
and be paid fixed salaries.
France objected to the appointment
of state employees, because their off,
cial status would make it more diff
cult to discharge them when the gov
ernment found them negligent or cul-
pable, but agreed to system of strict
governmental supervision Of all opium
agents.