Evening star., 1933-05-11
LEAGUE PLANNING
ATTACK ON DRUGS
Urges Nations to Limit Out.
put to Needs for Medi.
cine and Science.

GENEVA R.-The League Of Ma
lions is preparing to strike another blow
at the narcotic drug traffic by inducing
world nations to limit to medical and
scientific needs the production OF opium
and cocaine.
Messages from many parts Of the
world have come Ia congrhfulation Of
the ratification by some 80 nations and
the putting into force on July 8 next
of the recently accepted convention for
the limitation of the manufacture Of
narcotic drugs and regulation Of their
distribution.
Ihls convention represents a major
victory for associations and individuals
in the United States and elsewhere who
have for years been combating the mar
cotic drug evil, convinced that its raw
ages are widespread
The United States Carnda and more
than 10 Latin American republics have
ratified this agreement and will be
asked to contribute to the. new campaign
against the alleged ovenproduction Of
opium and cocaine.
Conference in 1909.
The campaign against the abuse Of
opium and narcotic drugs was a prob
lem with which the world was deeply
concerned before the creation of the
League of Nations. As early as 1906
certain States realized that it was es-
sential to help China to free herself
from the opium habit, and in 1909 an
international commission was convened
at Shanghai by the. President Of the
United States.
The recommendations Of that COM
mission were accepted as q basis for
the first opium convention, which was
drawn up by conference at The Hague
IN 1912. The measures of control pro-
vided by that convention were more of
. national than an. international char
acter.
When the League of Nations was es-
tabliShed it was EItrusted with a gen.
eral supervision over the application Of
drugs
In 1925, as the result Of a conference
convened by the League of Nations, The
Hague convention of 1912 was compile
mented by new convention which
contained strict<F measures for the linn
1tation Of the production and manu-
facture of drugt and for closer super
Vision over the international trade.
This convention provided machinery
which enabled an international control
to be exercisec7 over commercial trans
actions. A sysa ITEM of import and export
certificates was established to ensure
that all expor Is and imports of narcotic
drugs should be approved as being re-
quired for legitimate medical and sci
entif1c purposes.
These measures constituted q system
Of indirect limitation of the manufac-
ture OF narcotic drugs, but 1t became
increasingly evident that the most ef-
fective rem edy would be to establish
system which would directly limit their
manufacture.
Such system Of direct limitation was
framed by conference which met In
Geneva in 1881 and which adopted
convention for the limitation OF the
manufacture and the regulation Of the
Distribution Of narcotic drugs
This convention, which becomes opera
tive in July, IS an entirely new de-
parture in international cooperation.
This Is the first time that the manu-
factuDe of any product has been COM
p'eteIr subordinated as an economic
rea5I re- to superior humanitarian and
n,orj. considerations.
S0 3e members of the Council Of the |
League of Nations emphasize that this |
Irco dent might well be taken into ac-
CONT in organizing the control of the
II, u ,ufacture of arms and the traffic in |
aru2c.
1nder the League central once |
vii keep strict accounts Of the world |
titsflc in narcotics, the object being to
lIlit their manufacture to the quanti-
tips strictly necessary for medical and
scientific purposes.
One of the fundamental provisions is |
the establishment OF estimates Of the
quantities of drugs which may be man |
ufactured every year to meet legitimate
requirements.
Limits to be Fixed.
The Statement" containing the esti- |
mates drawn up by the supervisory body |
will also fix the limits within which any |
country may import narcotic drugs. The |
supervisory body will establish estimates |
for countries which do not themselves |
supply them.
1t will henceforth not be possible for |
q state to produce narcotic drugs or to |
import or export them, except under |
the control Of the international super |
visory body, which will be able to estab-
lish definite relationship between the |
quantities Of drugs necessary to meet |
the medical requirements of the world
and the quantities whose manufacture
may therefore be authorized.
The margin between the volume OF
narcotics manufactured and those neces-
sary for legitimate consumption will |
thus be reduced to q minimum, and the
amount available for the Illicit traffic =
expected 70 disappear progIesxvely.