Evening star., 1932-04-24
Continued From Third Page.)

adequate measures for effectively
checking the Illicit traffic in drugs,
1t would be difficult to compute in
terms of dollars the amount OF the
illegtimate trade IN narcatics, but IL
has become an enormous business In
g recent survey made by the opium
traffic section of the League of Nations,
a minimum estimate was given that In
the years 1850, 100 tons of morphine
and 6 tons of cocaine went into Illicit
channels. The League statisticlans
did not estimate the value OF these
drugs but private experts have put
il at anywhere from $500, 900 to
double that sum, which would make
the wold dope addict's bill about a
billion dollars a year. This hgufe
seems a little excessive. Perhaps a
half billion would be nearer the marx.
Whatever the figure, it was only a
fraction of this stupepdous amount
when the world first realized the
nenaoing growth of the narcotic eMi'
and with this lucrative tramc az seaAe,
it readily can be seen what Increasingly
greater dificulties have lain in the
nsth of the movement for Its sup
preston. a..
1t vas in 1912 that the nations Of the
world first assembled at The Hague 70
enact international measures tor the coI-
troll of the drug trafic. BY that time pro-
tests from the victim countries, notapiy
China. the United States, Canada.
Japan, Spain, Italy and Argentina, ana
their clainor for relief, had become SO
persistent that they could not be turned
aside. The Hague Convention aoepteo
measures for the control OF the pro-
duetion and distribution OF raw OPIUM;
h0t tho manufacture aDG
sale of derivatives be limited TO legiti-
mate purposes. A plan was set up py
which all persons engaged In the mar
cotio trade were to be licensed aho
required to keep an accurate record OF
their business, but II was full OF loop
holes. AS to control, no standard was
established showing to what extent and
how it should be effected, and no inter-
national administrative agency was
created, the whole instrument amount
ing to nothing more than pious oeo-
laration of principles.
The result was that The Hague Con-
vention was completely Intellectual.
MANY countries did not even make
pretense of establishing and enforcing
the control measures that were pro-
yided. Where control was undertaken
unserupulous manufacturers, smugglefs
and peddlers, had slight difheuity IN
eyading the laws, and the illicit drug
traffie continued to flourish.
Hague Policy In 1925.
Thirteen years elapsed before the
nations gathered at Geneva in 1928 to
correct the defects in the Hague Con-
ventien. Meantime, illicit drugs were
still flooding the world, and the in
crease in drug addiets was assuming
Ia ,iV,r x1rnranrfinnE AHain the FeSllILS
were unsatisfactory. Some progress was
made, but all attempts to obtain the
enactment of measures that would have
struck directly at the evil by the effee-
tive control of production and manu-
facture we're resisted and finally de-
feated by the activities of the opium
bloc, 1t was at this conference that
the American delegation, fighting for
the limitation of production of raw
materials as a basis for adequate con-
troll, quit the meeting In disgust after
the opium bloc had defeated the pro-
posal, leaving the remaining nations to
reach an agreement that was scarcely
more than a repetition OF the Hague
Convention.
The Hague and Geneva conventions
proving Intellectual in stemming the
Illicit traffic in narcotics, and with
nations especially these making up the
opium bloc, making only half-hearted
attempts to comply with the provisions
of these treaties, the Assembly of the
League of Nations, plainly disturbed
over the situation and spurTed by
demand for action from an outraged
public opinion, passed resolution in
1929 which in substance stated that 1t
was greatly impressed by the startling
disclosures made in the report OF the
Opium Advisory Committee and con-
sidered II necessary to summon another
convention to supplement the work OF
the Hague and Geneva Conventions so
that the manufacture of drugs would
be limited to the worlds medical and
scientific needs.
The resolution of the League covered
only morphine, heroin, ceeain and a
few other dangerous drugs, Mindful Of
their experience at previous confer
ences, the victim countries insisted that
IT. must cover all drugs to be effective.
Their attitude was that the limitation
OF only a few drugs would not accom-
plish much, as there are many more
drugs that are equally as dangerous if
not as well-known as morphine, heroin
and cocain, and they must be included
in any plan Of restriction. Ths manu-
featuring countries were quick TO pro-
test this drastic proposal but in vain.
At its next meeting, the League As
sembly broadened its resolution to in
clude AL derivatives" May Of this
year was fixed as the date for the con-
ference.
Drew Up Quota Plan.
As a basis for the conference, the
Opium Advisory Committee drew up a
plan known as the quota plan, provid-
ing that the world manufacture of
drugs be limited each year to an
amount calculated ON the basis of eSti-
mates Of their requirements TO be fur
nished by all countries To facilitate
the work Of the conference, the COM
nittec ureeued the manufacturing
countries to hold preliminary meet
ing to reach an agreement on appor-
tionment.
The opium bloc had been thwarted
in its effort TO limit the scope of the
impending conference but it could not
have devised O better scheme than
the quota plan for seizing control of
the drug industry through offieial sane
ton. and the representatives Of the
manufacturing countries met promptly
In London TO divide up this rich trade,