Evening star., 1925-02-08
Opium BAN SOUGHT
/. DESPITE u. S. BOLT.
Geneva Parley, Hit Again by
China's Withdrawal, Sticks
to Task DoggedIy.
By the Associated Press

By the Associated Press
GENEVA, February Further
enfeebled by the withdrawal of
CHINA, which, like the United States,
severed her connection because of the
conviction that visible results were
not being achieved, the international
opium conference clung tenaciously
to its task today, seeking to tighten
the machinery destined to check
Illicit traffic in narcotic drugs. Rep
resentative Stephen G. Porter, head
or the American delegation, departed
homeward about the time China was
anording the weary and discouraged
conference new sensation.
This was that China was "con-
strained to cease it's participation"
because the European powers having
territories in the Far East were not
prepared to adopt measures for the
suppression of opium smoking within
definite period, as suggested by
the American delegation.
American Course Criticized.
The conference had scarcely time
to recover from this blow before
another sensational incident came
quickly on its heels. This took the
form of a scathing characterization
of the American delegation, particu-
larly Mr.. Porter, by j. J. Loudon.
former foreign minister of the
Netherlands, who charged that of all
the delegations present at Geneva
the Americans alone failed to show
spirit of conciliation.
He accused them of neglecting to
explain clearly the American stand
point and neglecting also to reply to
points raised by the others. In gen.
eral, NJ. Loudon charged the Ameri-
cans with seeking to secure their de-
mands by menacing a rupture, which,
in his opinion, was not the way to
conduct an international conference.
Then came a ringing defense Of
the United States from Latin America,
when Senior Buero of Uruguay, re-
buked those who had attacked the
absent delegates. He paid tribute
to American idealism in all great
humanitarian movements.
Whatever opinion may exist in the
United States about the League of
Nations, II was manifested anew to-
day that the members of the league
hold II dear as a useful institution
and jealously guard It's good repute.
The plenary session of the confer
ence this afternoon examined in de-
tail a mass of documentary reports
showing to what vast extent the dele
gates, including the Americans and
Chinese, had gone into the various
aspects of the complicated problem
of opium and narcotic drugs. After
lively debate on the question of in
cooperating in the convention the
American principle OF limiting the
production of opium to medical and
scientific purposes, the conference
voted to adjourn final adjudication Of
this problem until next week.
Italy proposed textual incorpora-
tion of Americas proposition allow
ing each producing country to make
a reserva ton il 1t thought necessary,
but Lord Cecil vigorously opposed this,
saying that a reservation must be
accepted by all the delegations,
otherwise the convention would not
be signed.
India Offers Compromise.
India. lighting TO maintain the
IndiaS' right to eat opium II they
wished 20 do so, announced that India
would accept the American principle
IL it were applied only to opium ex-
ported, and not to opium grown.
Voicing regret at the absence of
j y
the conference adopted a resolution
that article two of the Hague Con-
vention shall be extended and appli-
ed to cocoa leaves, from which cocain
is manufactured. and that the system
of import certificates and export
authorizations shall also be extended
to cocoa. The subcommitte reported
that the limitation of the production
OF cocoa for medical and scientific
ha
would imply absolute prohibition of
the harmless consumption of cocoa
leaves in several South American
states.
The conference adopted the report
of another subcommittee. whic hre
ported failure to reach an agreement
on the American proposal to abolish
opium smoking in the Far East with
in 15 years. The Finnish delegate,
who brought in the report, seized
the opportunity to say pleasant words
about Americas happy influence in
pushing this problem towards a solu-
tion. He predicted that the inter-
nal conditions in China would i'm
prove and that China would succeed
in curbing excessive opium growing.
He appe aled to the powers which
have colonies where opium is smok-
ed to hasten their program of total
suppression.
Lord Cecil presented draft proto-
col, whereby the producing countries
promised to restrict cultivation and
restrain smuggling. After NJ. Sugi-
mura, Japan, remarked that China s
absence rendered action on this pro-
tocol a difficult matter. it went over
until next week, to which time the
conference adjourned.