Geneva, Nov. 21.
Owing to the fact that the busi ness committee has hitherto been tunable to agree regarding the programme of discussion, no plenary sitting of the Second Opium Conference took place to-day. feared that the present Conference also destined to end in a dea lock owing to the opposition of a number of States to the American suggestions., With regard to the Japanese attitude over the import jeertifieates, whence the deadlock in the First Conference arose, Reuter's: Jeorrespondent learns that' there is no sign of the conflicting. parties modifying their attitude and that! furthermore efforts are being made in Tokyo to induce Japan to re-Jeonsider her standpoint.
Nov. 2
After eight hours' discussion ye terday the business committee of the Second Opium Conference drew up a plan which was submitted to the plenary conference thix morning.
'The plan provides fcr the appointment of two general committees) for the purpose of con: plans for the limitation of m: facture of drugs and the limitatic Jof production of raw material for export and also for considering' }general plans for amending The Hague Opium Convention. The plan also provides for the appoint ment of six sub-committees, one of which will be composed of medical, pharmaceutical and statistical experts, which will consider the report. of the Leave's. Health) Committee regarding the need of} drugs for medicinal purposes.
At the subsequent discussion the Indian- delegate desired to reserve the right to discuss the competence of. the Conference, The First Opium Conference met again to-day and discussed the question of import certificates. In the course of a lengthy debate in which Sir Malcolm Delevingne, Mr. Sugimura and Sir J. Campbell were Ore principal speakers, niost of the old arguments were reiterated. Finally the conference interrupted the sitting in enter to enable the British and Japanese delegates to jecnfer privately with a view to reaching an ageeement, and after nearly two hours it was announced famid applause that an_agreemert had been reached in principle, but rust ax regards the actual wording lof the article.
The Conference thereupon ade Jjourned till next week—Reuter French Delegate's Advocacy of National Rather Than International Control Geneva, Nov. 25.
The joint meeting of both general committees of the Second Opium Conference has completed its task.
A plenary sitting will be held tomorrow t2 consider the general procedure relating, firstly, tothe proposals of the advisory committes on opium, secondly, the American sugtstions and, thirdly, the pro-poral submitted by Governments invited to the Conference but not represented.
Oathining the french attitude, M. Bourgeois said that he rejected' the advisory committee's proposal and the American suggestion for the ment of a special board of He suggested, firstly, the of international control to minimum; secondly, national eon-a which' he declared had given od results in Great Rritain, He sd and France; thirdly, replacing Sraport certificates by oficial advis of export; fourthly, deposit security fand Government' authorization; fitchly, publishing centralized star iritics "and denunciation of any Jcentre of contraband trade.
MIN. Bourgesia added tant France desired the strengthening of the Hague Convention and suggested that countries should furnish port aad export figures at the end lof each year.
The Polish delegate urged the total suppression of heroin—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.