[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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36988 REO&tober 24.]
OPIUM
CONFIDENTIAL.
[41284]
No. 1.
SECTION 2.
Foreign Office to Mr. Alexander (Society for the Suppression of the Opium Trade).
Foreign Office, October 24, 1911.
Sir,
I AM directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 4th instant, addressed to Mr. McKinnon Wood, on the subject of the attitude of the German Government towards the Opium Conference, and of the interpretation of the Opium Agreement with China of the 8th May last.
I am to inform you in reply that there is no reason to suppose that the German Government have sought in any way to obstruct the meeting of the conference, and that no authority was given by this department for any statement to that effect. The conference was postponed by mutual consent of the participating Powers, in order to allow time for the collection of further information with regard to the trade in morphia and cocaine, without which its deliberations on this important subject would have been robbed of much of their value.
With regard to the interpretation of the Opium Agreeinent, I am to state that the explanation given in paragraph 2 of your letter is correct, and that the annex to the agreement is merely intended to provide special arrangements to meet the case of the uncertificated opium in bond at the treaty ports and at Hong Kong on the date of signature, and in no way limits the operation of articles 2 and 3 of the agreement itself.
[2226 aa-2]
I am, &c.
F. A. CAMPBELL.
118