71ST CONGRESS 2d Session } SENATE { REPORT No. 929 AUTHORIZING THE COMMISSIONER OF PROHIBITION TO PAY FOR INFORMATION CONCERNING VIOLATIONS OF THE NARCOTIC LAWS JUNE 17, 1930.-Ordered to be printed Mr. BORAH, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 3395] The Committee on the Judiciary, having had under consideration the bill (H. R. 3395) authorizing the Commissioner of Prohibition to pay for information concerning violations of the narcotic laws, reports the same favorably to the Senate and recommends that the bill do pass with the following amendmet: On page 1, line 11, after the word "law", strike out the period, insert a colon in lieu thereof, and add the following: Provided, That all payments under authority of this act to any informer in any foreign country shall be made only through an accredited consul or vice consul of the United States stationed in such country, and every such payment must be supported by a voucher with an accompanying certificate of the said consul or vice consul that the payment of the amount stated on the voucher has been made to the informer named, and at the place and time specified on said voucher. The above amendment is considered necessary by the committee as a check on the making of payments to informers in foreign countries. Reasons supporting this legislation are given in the following excerpt from House Report No. 91, Seventy-first Congress, second session: The purpose of this bill is to aid in the suppression of the unlawful traffic in narcotics. It authorizes the Commissioner of Prohibition to pay any person, from funds now or hereafter appropriated for enforcement of the narcotic laws, for information concerning a violation or attempted violation of any narcotic law of the United States. The importation of these prohibited drugs is a difficult matter to detect, in that quantities thereof may be concealed in extremely small containers, resort being had even to shipments in lead pencils from which the lead has been removed and the space thus provided filled with deadly drugs. Therefore it is necessary for the agents of the Government to secure information from those who are engaged in or in some way connected with the traffic. Experience has shown that frequently information concerning very large shipments under way could be obtained if the agents had authority to pay for the information. It is the belief of the department that this permission will be of very material aid in the detection and suppression of this unlawful traffic. 71ST CONGRESS 2d Session } SENATE REPORT No. 930 EXPOSITION TO BE HELD AT PARIS, FRANCE, IN 1931 JUNE 17, 1930.-Ordered to be printed Mr. BORAH, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. J. Res. 311] The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, having had under consideration H. J. Res. 311, for participation of the United States in an exposition to be held at Paris, France, in 1931, reports the same favorably and recommends that it do pass without amendment. The facts are fully set forth in House Report No. 1351, which is hereto attached and made a part of this report. [House Report No. 1351, Seventy-first Congress, second session] The Committee on Foreign Affairs, to whom was referred the resolution (H. J. Res. 311) for the participation of the United States in an exposition to be held at Paris, France, in 1931, having considered the same, reports it to the House and unanimously recommeds that it do pass with the following minor amendments: Page 3, line 18, after the word "exposition" insert the following: "or when the connection of the Government of the United States therewith ceases,' Page 4, line 24, strike out the word "herewith" and insert in lieu the word "therewith." The passage of the resolution has been recommended by the Department of State and the Department of Commerce. In his letter of April 15, to the chairman of your committee, the Acting Secretary of State, the Hon. Joseph P. Cotton, draws attention to the elaborate participation of the United States in the Ibero American Exposition at Seville, Spain, and to the invitation which has recently been extended to the French Government soliciting its participation in the Century of Progress Exposition to be held at Chicago in 1933. Continuing, Secretary Cotton states: "A dispatch has just been received from the American Ambassador at Paris indicating his interest in the exposition and expressing the belief that our participation therein would have a tendency to facilitate the consideration of pending questions. The ambassador states that French Government officials are deeply interested in the success of the exposition. "Inclosed with the ambassador's dispatch is a letter dated March 18, 1930, from Marshall Lyautey, who is commissioner general of the exposition. It will be noted from this letter that there are apparently two methods of participation in the exposition, one to erect a building and the other to participate in the International City of Information. "There is likewise inclosed a translation of a memorandum from the secretariat of the exposition showing those countries which have to date agreed to participate and the character of their participation. "There is also inclosed a letter dated April 7, 1930, from the Secretary of Commerce presenting the commercial aspects of the question of participation and expressing his opinion that acceptance of the invitation and participation by the United States would be justifiable. "As the exposition will unquestionably have important commercial characteristics, I believe that the Secretary of Commerce can also appropriately comment as to the character of possible American participation and the extent thereof.” The following paragraphs are quoted from the recent dispatch received from the American ambassador at Paris, the Hon. Walter E. Edge: "I venture to offer my personal views on the advisability of our Government recognizing this exposition in one form or another. During the three months I have been in Paris, I have undertaken to interest the appropriate governmental officials in the advisability of consummating a commercial treaty between the United States and France. Likewise, I have quite frequently discussed with them various phases of the double-taxation problem, the question of tariff between the two countries, local taxation of American residents, and, in fact, practically all pending economic or commercial problems. I think I am justified in stating that I have, generally speaking, found sympathy and responsiveness. "I find the Government officials here deeply interested in the success of this overseas exposition. From the standpoint of cooperation and as evidence of our interest in their commercial possibilities, it appeals to me as tremendously important that the United States be represented in this exposition. "Only a few weeks ago the embassy presented, under the direction of the State Department, the official invitation of the city of Chicago to France to participate in the forthcoming exposition in that city. I am informed by Ambassador Dawes that he has taken this matter up with Great Britain and they have assured him of their participation. Our ambassador to Great Britain has likewise expressed to me the hope that we can secure French participation. It can quite readily be appreciated that, in view of the Chicago exposition occurring in 1933 and the French exposition in 1931, I shall be in a very poor position to urge the former participation if the United States shows no interest in the earlier French enterprise.' In his communication to Ambassador Edge the commissioner general of the exposition, Marshall Lyautey, says: "At the moment when the question is raised decisively as to the participation of the United States in the 1931 exhibition, permit me to state precisely, on one hand, the object and importance of this international manifestation, and on the other hand, the conditions under which the United States might be represented there. "The exhibition of 1931. called Exposition Coloniale International de Paris (Colonies et Pays d'Outremer) (International Colonial Exhibition of ParisColonies and Overseas countries), has for its object: To show the universe the work accomplished overseas by our civilization. To enable all civilized countries to compare their methods one with another in order to succeed in improving them and in extending those recognized as most effectual both in the social and economic order. "The supreme aim is, in a grand manifestation of international good will, to reach a determination of the best means of endowing numberless populations, as yet destitute in this respect, with means of having a fuller life, to give certain among them a higher ideal, to equip them, and to bring within their reach the inventions most apt to increase their material and moral well-being. "This exhibition is in truth an international overseas exhibition, in which not only countries possessing colonies should be represented, but also countries producing tropical raw materials, and all those which, overseas, pursue a work of social and economic development." In continuation Marshall Lyautey explains that the exhibition will include a series of buildings to be constructed by the participating governments around Lake Vincennes in an attractive setting. These will be made easily accessible by a special railway, and will house the exhibitions of the various countries. The space allocated for the entire exposition comprises an area of about 109 hectares, of which 96 are in the wooded section of Vincennes around Lake Daumesnil, and 13 hectares on the site of the old fortification of Paris. It will have a frontage of about 11⁄2 kilometers along the Boulevards Soult and Poniatowski. The exhibition will also include an original creation called the international city of information, destined to constitute a veritable bureau of information. The international congresses to be organized on the occasion of the exhibition both from a social and economic point of view, will meet within the boundaries of this city. "The most efficacious manner in which the American Government could participate," says Marshall Lyautey, "would be to construct a national palace on a particularly desirable site which would be furnished without charge, and which the Government could use as it deemed best. Space would also be reserved, without cost, for suitable documentation and agents in the palace of the city of information. In the event the American Government should not build a pavilion, particular stress is laid on the needs for representation in the city of information. Persons competent to represent the United States at the international congresses, some of which will be held under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce, should be designated. The failure of the United States to participate in the 1931 exhibition will mean a substantial loss in its efficiency, and much emphasis is put on the importance of sharing in this international demonstration. The Secretary of Commerce, the Hon. Robert P. Lamont, in a letter of April 7 to the Acting Secretary of State, emphasizes the commercial good will and the strengthening of international commercial relations which the United States would manifest by participation in the exposition. He calls attention to the fact that the first commercial treaty made by the United States was negotiated with France in the early days of our Republic. "The trend of trade between France and the United States"Says Secretary Lamont "has been singularly steady in its relative importance. The value of this commerce with France and the French colonies for the past decade is shown in its relation to the total world trade of the United States. "Commercial groups in France and the United States, as well as the French Government, are placing considerable significance upon participation by the United States at this Colonial Exposition. The French have invariably taken part in the great international expositions held in the United States. In consideration of the commercial bonds between the two nations, I feel that acceptance of the invitation and participation by the United States would be justifiable and would present a further indication of the cordial French-American relations that have existed for years." At the annual dinner of the French Chamber of Commerce in New York City a few months ago Dr. Julius Klein, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, referred to the French-American trade with the French colonial possessions, Doctor Klein said: "Franco-American trade is fortunately becoming more than a trade simply between France and the United States. In the economic development of France during recent years, few factors have assumed greater importance than the colonial empire. From this vast territory France is, or will ultimately be, able to draw a great portion of the industrial raw materials and tropical foodstuffs which she does not possess within her own borders, and by carrying on the development of the latent economic potentialities of these possessions she expects to have a growing market for her surplus industrial production. The seriousness with which France is going about this process is emphasized in the project now before Parliament to spend over a period of five years, a total of eight and six-tenths billion francs, or about $336,000,000 for improvement of the 'national equipment,' of which the largest single item is about $141,000,000 for colonial public works and other development. Whereas the funds for the remainder of the projects are to be derived from resources already available in the treasury, the colonial item is considered of sufficient importance to warrant the flotation of a special loan. "This loan, while applying to the whole French Empire, has particular bearing on the African Territories. Algeria has long been the object of special solicitude and has come steadily closer to approximating an integral part of France, providing potential resources of cereals, minerals, fertilizers, cork, olive oil, dates, figs, and many other products susceptible with adequate equipment-of immeasurably greater development than at present. Tunisia presents somewhat similar resources, though on a smaller scale. Madagascar in addition to important mineral deposits (especially mica and graphite) and such tropical products as vanila beans is also capable of producing livestock and agricultural products on a much larger scale with the development of irrigation in the drier parts of the island and the general extension of transportation facilities. |