No one nation can save itself from narcotics. The drug is so easily smuggled and nefarious gains accruing from it so enormous that as long as a few nations raise the poppy and manufacture opium its products will fly across all international boundaries. The United States has hitherto taken the lead in international opium conventions, one of which was secured by President Roosevelt in 1909, and others followed at The Hague in 1911 and 1913. The last of these closed its sittings in May, 1914, when practically all nations agreed on suppression of the traffic except for legitimate medical uses. World War came on at once, and these promises and pledges were forgotten. It is now everywhere recognized that the only way to get effective action is for the United States again to assume the leadership. The Hon. Stephen J. Porter, Chairman of the Foreign Afiairs Committee of the House of Representatives, has been in conference with President Harding, who cordially supports a plan for an international convention for which Mr. Porter proposes to introduce a Bill. The White Cross requests all Chapters and representatives to write to Mr. Porter in support of the measure. Only international action can do the work.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.