[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
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Reat 15 JUL 10!
[23923]
No. 1.
{July 4.]
SECTION 1.
I
Mr. Gaisford to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received July 4.)
(No. 31.) Sir,
Lisbon, June 21, 1910. ON receipt of your despatch No. 72 of the 23rd November last, Sir Francis Villiers addressed a note to the Portuguese Government requesting their views with regard to the proposal made by the United States Government for an international conference to be held at The Hague to conventionalise the resolutions adopted by the Opium Commission, which sat at Shanghai in February, 1909.
I have the honour to forward translation of the reply of the Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs, dated the 16th instant, stating that Portugal accepts the proposal in principle and intends to be represented at the conference; the Portuguese Government, however, reserve to themselves entire freedom of discussion, and stipulate that no decision arrived at shall become effective until applicable to all the countries concerned.
Enclosure in No. 1.
I have, &c.
HUGH GAISFORD).
(Translation.) Your Excellency,
Senhor Villaça to Sir F. Villiers.
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Lisbon, June 16, 1910.
WITH reference to the note which you were good enough to address to my predecessor on the 4th of December last, I have the honour to inform your Excellency that the Portuguese Government approve in principle the humanitarian purposes of the international conference which it is proposed to hold at The Hague to conventionalise measures intended to control the use of opium in the Far East.
The Portuguese Government intend to be represented, but reserve to themselves entire freedom in the discussion of the programme suggested by the Government of the United States of America, it being understood that the resolutions adopted shall not become effective until applicable to all the countries and colonies interested in the production, trade and consumption of opium.
I avail, &c.
A. EDUARDO VILLAÇA.
[2812 d-1]
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