THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS: The Narcotic Evil

In many lands of the Far East, poppies are manufactured into opium*, coca leaves into cocaine; and many men become slaves ”in bondage to the ruthless master, the narcotic evil,” as Bishop Charles H. Brent of the U. S. so aptly puts it.

In order to end the opium scourge, Congressman Stephen G. Porter (of Pennsylvania) led an American delegation to Geneva where opened the League of Nations International Opium Conference.

In the preliminary session of the Conference, after Herluf Zahle of Denmark had been elected President, Mr. Porter brusquely insinuated that the first conference, called to discuss the means of eliminating illicit trade in opium (TIME, Nov. 24), had been wasting time. The American delegation, he inferred, was out to force the issue. Said he: “We have no agreement before us and yet we must deal effectively with the question of production. The dictates of common sense demand a frank admission of the dilemma in which this failure has placed the second conference, and the consideration of the possibility and wisdom of widening the scope of the discussion to include the subject of progressive suppression of the traffic in prepared opium.”

On the first real working day of the Conference, Bishop Charles H. Brent, President of the International Opium Commission of 1909 in Shanghai and of the First International Opium Conference at The Hague in 1912, made an eloquent speech in support of a U. S. Plan which the delegation had presented to the Conference. The plan, said he, was in reality suggestions “to which every signatory of The Hague Convention is pledged— the ultimate suppression of the abuse of opium and cocaine and their derivatives, and the restriction of their production and manufacture within the requirements of medicine and science.”

He continued: “We lay our case before the convention without reserve and without ulterior motives. There is no guile hidden beneathour service. If we are bold in our proposals, we are also frank in the presentation of them.”

The Bishop also said that little had been done during the past twelve years and that it was high time the problem was energetically tackled.

The main provisions of the U.S. plan:

1) Prevention of surplus production of raw opium and the coca leaf.

2) Prohibition of distribution of heroin, a derivative of opium, without scientific or medicinal value.

3) Progressive reduction of importation of raw opium at the rate of 10% per annum by those countries which permit the manufacture of prepared opium for smoking.

4) Progressive suppression of the manufacture of and internal trade in prepared opium.

5) Establishment of a central board to which all countries should furnish estimates of their opium requirements and, at the same time, guarantee to prohibit excess importations.

Prompt to support the Plan were Mr. Alfred Sze, Chinese Minister to the U. S.; Dr. Henri S. Beland, Canadian delegate; Michael MacWhite of Ireland. But, despite their support, coupled with that of Cuba, Japanand Italy, the Business Committee of the Conference framed a program limiting the business of the Conference and eliminating manyof the points raised by the U. S. plan. As Mr. Porter had all along insisted that the Conference should deal with all phases of the narcotic evil, he made a stipulation:

“It is the opinion of the United States’ delegation that the report of the Business Committee may curtail unduly the Conference’s scope, and the delegation from the United States, not desiring to delay matters, will vote in favor of the adoption of the report only on the express condition that it will be permitted to present to the Conference,or an appropriate committee, for consideration on their merits, American suggestions or such portions thereof as it may deem germane to the Conference’s purpose. Our instructions are such that we would find it difficult to proceed further in the Conference without this clear understanding.”

But the necessary assurances were not forthcoming; and when the program of the Business Committee was adopted Mr. Porter declined to cast a vote. The limit placed on the scope of the Conference was, however, thought by many to be largely academic, which meant that the U. S. delegation would have ample opportunity of pressing U. S. suggestions.

*Raw opium is manufactured mainly in India, China, Persia and Turkey from the juice of the poppy. The annual production is about 3,900 tons, but not more than 350 tons a year is necessary to medicine and science. The cultivation of poppies, therefore, is a great source of revenue to these states.

The method of collecting the juice from the poppy is laborious. After the leaves of the flower have fallen and the capsules have assumed a whitish color, they are punctured in the evening with a small three-pronged instrument. The following morning, the juice, having exuded and thickened by exposure ot the air, is scraped off by a small iron instrument previously dipped in oil. It is then worked in a heated pot until it is thick and can be formed into cakes about four pounds in weight. The cakes are than packed in leaves to prevent them sticking together, and dried. This is raw opium.

Prepared opium is made in many different ways according to whether it is to be smoked or eaten. The usual form is to boil it with other chemicals (clarify it for eating) and make it into pills which are then smoked with ordinary tobacco.

Whether it is smoked or eaten, the effects of opium vary according to the mental disposition of the consumers. To the bright, happy man all manner of pleasing scenes are presented; an ambitious man will fancy himself a gloried Napoleon; a man will liverish fancy man will himself be seized with morbid visions and filled with horror and dismay. About half to one hour is necessary for the opium to take effect and cause slumber from which the consumer awakes exhausted, pensive and melancholy. The drug is dangerously habit-forming and becomes so necessary to the addict that he cannot live without a regular supply.