The opium traffic, which not only involves a serious' external' but a grave internal problem as well, has for some time past. occupied' th close attention of tht Goverament of India. As regards the external traffic, with which China in particular is much concerned, the Government has recently announced its decision to reduce progressively, fin ally discontinuing altogether. withi 10 years, all exports from India of the drug' save the amounts re fired for scientific und medicinal purposes This guarantee of the Governments food faith in regard to the international obligations entered into. for the suppression of the drug trafic should go far in deciding other Gov-nts, which have entered into similar obligations but which may be hesitating in order to see what others will do, to initiate similar bold policies." As regards internal policy it has been decided to bold the near future at Simla an Inter-Provincial Conference of Excise in order to effect closer ce-operation between the provinees which at the present time suffer much from the Ailieit trafic because in the past they have not worked closely enough together for the uprooting of the evil,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.