Chapter 155.
761 words·~3 min read·
/statutes-at-large/vol-43/chapter-155-640901·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
CHAP. 155.— Joint Resolution Authorizing an appropriation for the participation of the United States in two international conferences for the control of the traffic in habit-forming narcotic drugs. May 15, 1924.[[H. J. Res. 195](/us/bill/68/hjres/195).][[Pub. Res. No. 20](/us/bill/68/pubres/20).] Whereas President Roosevelt on October 14, 1907. called an InternationalOpium and narcotic drugs control conferences.Preamble.Vol. 38, p. 1912. Commission which met in Shanghai, China, in 1909 to make an investigation of the abuses growing out of the opium traffic and to suggest a means for their prevention, and thus the United States, as pointed out by President Wilson in his message to Congress on April 21, 1913, “initiated the world-wide movement toward ” the abolition of the traffic in habit-forming narcotic drugs; and Whereas the International Conference at The Hague proposed by President Taft on September 1, 1909, to give international effect and sanction to the resolutions of the Shanghai Opium Commission, resulted in the adoption of The Hague Opium Convention of 1912 by the powers assembled, which is in full force and effect between the nations which have ratified it; and Whereas the original convention delegated certain administrative functions to the Netherlands Government (thereby constituting the said Government an agent for the execution of the treaty), and said Government called two conferences in 1913 and 1914 to consider problems growing out of the execution of the convention; and Whereas certain of the powers parties thereto have vested in the League of Nations the agency or duty of executing the convention by treaty, dated June 28, 1923, article 23. of which provides as follows:
“Subject to and in accordance with the provisions of international conventions existing or hereafter to be agreed upon, the members of the league * * * will intrust the league with120 the general supervision over the execution of agreements with regard to * * * the traffic in opiums and other dangerous drugs * * * and Whereas the United States, for the reasons that it is only by international cooperation that the suppression of the world-wide traffic in habit-forming narcotic drugs can be accomplished, and that this Government is bound by The Hague Opium Convention equally with other governments to work toward this end, accepted an invitation from said agency to cooperate with it in the execution of said treaty; and Whereas as the result of conferences in January, May, and September of 1923, between the representatives of the United States and governments represented by the League of Nations, the latter governments agreed that the United States construction of TheVol 42, p. 1433.
Hague Opium Convention, as provided in Public Resolution Numbered 96, Sixty-seventh Congress, approved March 2, 1923, represented the objects which the treaty was intended to accomplish, and that any other construction would render the treaty ineffective and of no practical value, and accordingly it was decided: " “1. If the purpose of The Hague Opium Convention is to be achieved according to its spirit and true intent; it must be recognized that the use of opium products for other than medical and scientific purposes is an abuse and not legitimate.
“2. In order to prevent the abuse of these products it is necessary to exercise the control of the production of raw opium in such a manner that there will be no surplus available for nonmedical and nonscientific purposes”; and " Whereas it was further decided at said conferences that two international conferences should be called in the latter part of the year 1924 to agree upon a plan to enforce said treaty in accordance with said construction and interpretation bearing in mind that the gradual suppression of the traffic in and use of prepared opium as provided in Chapter II of the convention is not yet accomplished, reservations to that effect having been noted by certain powers (Great Britain.
France, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, British India, and Siam, in regard to prepared opium): Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, Appropriation authorized for expenses of conferences.*Post*, p. 692. That the appropriation of such sum as may be necessary, not to exceed $40,000, for the participation of the United States in one or both of these conferences, or any postponement thereof, to be expended under the*Proviso*.Condition. direction of the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized: *Provided*, That the representatives of the United States shall sign no agreement which does not fulfill the conditions necessary for the suppression of the habit-forming narcotic drug traffic as set forth in the preamble.
Approved, May 15, 1924.