Geneva, of the plainest speaking ever at Geneva was delivered before the Opium Committee of the League of Nations by Mr. Stuart J. Fuller, the United States delegate, who. was former American Consul-General At Tientsin, and Dr. Victor Hoo, the Chinese representative -and Minister to Switzerland, both of whom con-emued Japan for falling (0 take a quate. suppressive measures. against Japanese and Korean nationals. engaged in the drug trate, Mr. Fuller urged that nese Government, whose subjects are more widely and more closely connected than those of any other country with the traMe in China morphine, heroin and cocaine, "take stops, without further delay. Punish Japanese and Koreans respon~ Bible for their clandestine manufacture and iMlelt trate." This, he added, had brought the name of Japan into disrepute, Mr, Fuller expressed the hope that the vast supplies of opium within China would be out down. Until this were dono, he said, China would continue to be a menace to the world Insofar as narcotics was concerned, The U. S, delegate then referred to the "almost unbelievable conditions in East Hopel, the disgraceful state of tuffaire in Piontsin and Peiping, the terrifying spread of drug addiction in the Hopel countryside and the conditions existing in Shanghai."
'Japanese and Korean traffickers were, he alleged, responsible for the situation, which' afforded "eloquent testimony {o the helplessness of the Japanese authorities, limited Japanese laws to penalties which are perfectly ridiculous."
"This matter of penalties." he continued, "has repeatedly been brought to the attention of the Opium Committee, For years, this has been open scandal, and, year after year, the Committee has drawn attention fo the perfectly ridiculous state of affairs, "It is certainly unfortunate that no effective action has yet been taken.
"Not only China, but Japan and all Japanese possessions ure a haven of refuge and an unsurpassed headquarters for callous Japanese and Koreans successfully and blithefully poisoning their fellow men for gain, "his failure to discipline and punish these poisoners is not only an Act of unfriendliness to the Chinese, Dut also to the Nort: American Continent, Canada and Mexico, "Let us fact the facts. Where Japanese influence in the Far East advances, the drug trafic goes with' it, The maximum penalty is a few weeks' rest in gaol and a fine equal to the profits of one poor day's business of a petty traffickers."
Dr. Hoo outlined the—measures enforced by tke Central Political Council at Nanking to check the drug menace in China.
A total of 910 persons, he declared, were sentenced to death by shooting for violation of the laws prohibiting the trading in. or consumption of manufactured drugs.
The life of the nation, he said, depended on its struggle against drugs, "which we must fight to the bitter end."
He Informed the meeting of the! Draconian methods adopted by China, which had the effect of restricting. the tivities of clandestine factories and traflckers of manufactured goods wherever the problem was not complicated by factors outside the control of the Chinese authorities.
The biggest dimeulty at present, which was insoluble without the collaboration of other countries, proceeded Mr. Hoo, was the action of certain foreigners in taking advantage of their privileged position to indulge trade in drugs on a vast scale, paralyzing, as far as manufactured drugs were concerned, the effects of [Chinese measures, The situation was sui very grave in certain parts of [China, especially in north Chin
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.