Swiss Asked to End Illicit Drug Trade

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7169, 17 March 1930, Page 5

Swiss Asked to End Illicit Drug Trade

INADEQUATE PENALTIES. GENEVA. «fapanese and Swiss delegates were put under a searching cross-examina-tion by Sir Malcolm Dclcvingne, British delegate, concerning seizures of drugs from their respective countries at the meeting of the Opium Advisory Committee on February 3. The replies suggested that Japan and Switzerland dealt too leniently with illicit traffickers.

Dr. Carricre (Switzerland) explained that the Federal Government had no,power to interfere in the judicial independence of the cantonal authorities, which, ho admitted, passed inadequate sentences in recent cases. Dr. Carriero hinted that the central authorities might bring pressure to bear on the cantonal authorities to tighten up thoir laws so that adequate sentences could be inflicted upon notorious traffickers. Tho view of the opium commission is that Switzerland must be prevailed upon to do more to put an end to what has long been'a scandal.

Sir Malcolm turned tho searchlight once more on the seizure of Japanese drugs, and Mr. Ito, tho Japanese delegate, showed embarrassment on being questioned concerning the duty of the Japanese Government to trace illicit drugs back to their source. Mr. Ito explained that the new government regulations would make it easier for Japanese authorities to trace the origin of the drugs, since all bottles must in future bo labelled. Kenneth Caldwell, American unofficial observer, questioned Dr. A. de .Vasconcellos (Portugal) concerning the alleged smuggling of opium into North America from Macao. He elicited the fact that the Portuguese police had worked in this case in direct communication with the American police.