TRAFFIC IN OPIUM

Southland Times, Issue 19458, 24 January 1925, Page 6

TRAFFIC IN OPIUM

THE GENEVA CONFERENCE. A DIVISION OF OPINION. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright). (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) GENEVA, January 22. A critical stage has been reached at the Opium Conference owing to the refusal of the British and other delegates to accept the American proposals aiming at the total suppression of the opium traffic in a decade while America’s delegation rejected British proposals supported by France to abolish opium smoking within 15 years from the time China begins to grapple seriously with smuggling opium into neighbouring countries. Lord Robert Cecil as head of the British delegation, emphasised that Britain was determined to put a stop to the opium traffic. He opposed the American proposals because he believed they would not achieve the desired results, but on the contrary, would intensify the evil and increase the profits of smugglers without reducing the quantity of opium imported. The conference finally adopted the Swedish proposal to adjourn the discussion till January 24, in order to try to find a solu- , tion.