152
sizing the difficulty and danger of taking further
restrictive measures until the morphia and cocaine
trade is effectively controlled. How this is to be
done will be for the International Conference to
consider, but, from the point of view of the Eastern
Colonies, the more stringently it is regulated the
better.
We might provide the Delegates with a general
statement of the system of opium administration
in the Eastern Colonies and Protectt.
Meantime proceed as in par. 2 of this minute.
AVC
201!!
We had better Keeps in time with the Indian
form. It meghe difficult bgive a statement
2
with no opening the
present practice with. door & discurson of it.
Jagree;
20
Letter to suspend judgment as to communicating information until after the interdepart mental
E
discussion
I agree,
20.11
but I hope the inter departmental
Couns. will agree
information
to commence
*..
20-11-11
uccoting
C
MI. Liddes
Sir J. Anderson
Mr. Stubbs and I attended the
Conference at the F.0. yesterday. All the Dele-
gates were present, as well as representatives of
the four Govt. Departments.
纛
We went through the instructions annexed,
drafted by Mr. Max Muller, who was in the Chair.
When it came to the question of excluding from
consideration by the Conference questions of
internal administration in India and the Colonies
(pages 6 and 7 of draft ) I was asked whether
the draft met our wishes. I replied that, whilst
we did not wish to embarrass the Covt. of India,
the draft went rather beyond what we wanted. We did
not think that the Delegates should be precluded
from giving information as to the systems adopted
in our different Colonies and Protectorates in
the Far East, though we thought that they should
not enter into discussion on the matter. I pointed
out that it would produce a bad effect not only
at the Conference but in Parliament at home
if it were supposed that we wished to withhold
information.
Sir C.C.Smith spoke strongly in favour of
giving information, and said that it would