Evening star., 1925-01-23
PORTER IS READY
TO LEAVE PARLEY
Opium Discussion in Present
Stage, He Fears, Would
Bar Future Chances.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
GENEVA, January "a private
meeting today between Representa-
tive Stephen G. Porter of the United
States and Viscount Cecil of Great
Britain, in an attempt to save the
opium conference from a breakdown,
resulted in failure.
Mr.. Porter stated that unless condi-
tions changed radically he would re-
turn to the United States within a
few days
1 consider the situation has reach
ed such stage that my continued
presence would imperil The Hague
opium convention" Mr.. Porter said.
Opposes Commission Idea.
Mr.. Porter told Lord Cecil that the
plan for appointing a joint commits
sion from the present and earlier con-
ferences to discuss the problem OF
opium smoking proposed by some OF
the delegates as a means of saving
the present conference was not ac-
ceptable to the Americans. Mr.
Porter considers this plan unsatis-
factory and useless, on the ground
that the members of the commission
representing the present conference
would have no official standing owing
to the contention on the part of many
of the countries that the present con-
ference has no competency to discuss
opium smoking.
Mr.. Porter expressed the opinion
that the best procedure would be to
convoke new conference with opium
smoking clearly on the agenda.
Lord Cecil told Mr.. Porter he had
not looked favorably on the proposal
of some of the smaller states to ad-
journ the conference for about a year
but said his decision on this point
was not final. He asked the Ameri-
can representative to remain and
complete the narcotic drug conven-
tion, leaving the question of opium
smoking for further treatment IN the
future. Mr.. Porter declined this prop
osition because he believed the two
problems were inseparable.
No New Concessions.
Other efforts to save the conference
will continue this afternoon and this
evening. According to the Ameri-
cans, the powers having opium
smoking colonies in the Far East
have made no new concessions, but
the suppression of smoking within
a specified period be conditional upon
the reduction of opium production in
China-which condition is unaccept-
able to the Americans.
The joint commission idea was
evolved as a possible means of get
ting around the difficulty caused by
the fact that the British and other
delegations maintain that the opium
smoking problem lay entirely within
the province of the first conference
Immediately preceding the present
one, and that the latter conference is
not competent officially to take up
the problem OF opium smoking, as in
sisted by Mr.. Porter.
Look for Adjournment.
League Of Nations officials said to-
day that as a result of further con-
ferences with leaders like Lord Cecil
DR.. Zahle and NJ. Daladier of France
an adjournment would probably be
favored by the league authorities pro-
vided they became convinced nc
agreement now was possible.
Some of the smaller states seem
anxious to adopt the adjournment al
tentative as a means of preserving
the prestige of the League of Nations
under whose auspices the conferences
have been held.
such states, headed by Michael Mac
White OF the Irish Free States, called
on Mr.. Porter last night and urged
him to favor a long adjournment II
an accord seemed impossible at this
time. The idea is that the next as
sembly of the league would convoke
a new conference embracing both mar
cotic control and opium smoking.
HAS PLENARY POWER.