THE CASE OF PERSIA

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 61, 14 March 1927, Page 9

THE CASE OF PERSIA

(Sydney Sun Cable.)

GENEVA, 11th Muix'h.

Alarming evidence of the growth of the illicit traffic in drugs is contained in tho report of tho Advisory Committoo on tho traffic in opium presented to tho League Council. The report mentions that on one occasion Italian polico captured a consignment of 1051b of morphine, UGlb of heroin, and 531b of cocaine. It is estimated that the illicit traffic in cocaino within India amounts to forty times the legitimate import.-

Tho head of tho committee mentions that, though 52 States signed a contract to control tho traffic drastically, only tho British Empire, Portugal, and Salvador havo fulfilled their obligations, with France, Czecho-Slovakia, and Holland about to comply. Colonel Macormack, tho Persian Government's adviser, replying to a suggestion that Persia should substitute other crops for opium, said that tho chief manufacturing and distributing countries were Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the United States, but only 1 per cent, of tho supplies was obtained from Persia, the .main source being Turkey. However, the Persian Government was prepared to experiment with tho Council's proposals. Western countries did not want Persian opium becauso it contained insufficient morphine.