The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1927-06-11

bAoAaDatAoA - ObAiSN0 ~ &NAAAA AAi@N a.
eoholism is justly chargeable with all the
evils referred to In this resolution, but
that there are some who hold that it is not
a proper subject of inquiry by the League
of Nations, but only by the individual
states. In reply to this proposition the
conference brought out that Article p of
the Covenant of the League of Nations
makes it incumbent upon the Mandatory
Powers ito prohibit" in the inundated
territory such abuses as the slave trade,
the arms traffic and the liquor traffic." Ar
ticle q makes it incumbent upon the
members of the League to take steps in
matters of international concern for the
prevention and the control of disease"
and alcoholism certainly comes under this
head; under the same Article a commit
tee has been set up for the protection of
children, which includes the alcohol ques-
ton in its program; the same Article de-
clares the necessity of preserving "just
and honorable relations between nations"
and the Covenant itself declares it to be
the friendly right of each member of
the League to bring to the attention of
this Assembly any circumstance whatever
affecting international relations, which
threatens to disturb international peace
or the good understanding between ma
tons upon which peace depends"
The smuggling of intoxicants by the
citizens of one nation into territory of an
other nation is breach of the Gust and
honorable relations which should obtain
among nations" and the determination of
France, Spain and Portugal to compel
smaller nations like Iceland and Norway
to permit the importation of wine contra
ry to the prohibition laws of these small
er nations is circumstance which
threatens to disturb international peace,
etc." The Geneva Conference proposes
be set up by the League of Nations, to BIO
composed of governmental delegates,
chiefly specialists in the scientific treat
ment of the alcohol question 1t would
be the duty of this Commission to lay
down, subject to the approval of the
Council of the League, program of the
Leagues activity with regard to alcohol
and to be responsible for the execution
of this program, which would of necessity
be entrusted to a permanent bureau.
Tasks of the Bureau
Some of the tasks to be undertaken by
the Bureau would be the compilation of
accurate statistics on the production, sale
and consumption of alcoholic beverages
in all countries, including facts as to the
areas now planted in vines, hops or barley
for the production of intoxicants, tho
number of individual families engaged in
such cultivation and In the actual manu-
facture and sale of alcoholic drinks; the
data on the taxation Of alcoholic bever-
ages in different countries; the effects of
alcoholism upon society, including mental
and venereal diseases, alcoholic degener-
acy, accidents output of work, criminal
ity and pauperism; the total direct and in
direct expenditure for alcohol In COMPARE
son with other expenditures; compila-
ton of ali the legislation by various coun-
tries, kept constantly up to date, with the
effects of such legislation; the effects OF
alcoholism upon child life, including I'M
l. III.