3.
172).
Sir:-
THE HAGUE.
December 18th,
1911.
380
end al way. *
The discussion of Chapter II of the Programme,
dealing with Prepared Opium, was begun by the Interna-
tional Opium Conference in its fixth Plenary Session on
the 12th instant. The first Resolution was one by the
Notherland Delegation simply proposing the prohibition
of all exportation and importation of prepared opium,
but there was also a the paper a whole series of re-
solutions under the various heads of Chapter II put
forward by the American Delegation which were of a less
drastic nature than the Netherlund Resolution, and aimed
at obtaining the maximum amount of control over the
trade short of total prohibition, in case the ideal of
total prohibition should prove to be unrealisable.
Indeed Dr. Hamilton Wright informed the Conference that
in the event of the Netherland Resolution being accept-
ed unanimously, he was prepared to withdraw all the
suggestions put forward by his delegation.
e Right Honourable
The
Sir Edward Gray, Bart., M.P.
&c., ac., &c.,