Copy.
THE HAGUE,
* 1627
C
Kao 16 JAN 12
January 13th, 1912. 454
Immediate.
M 8.
(1884)
Sir:-
We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your
despatches No. 12 of the 9th instant and No. 14 of the
11th instant (1491) respecting our authority to sign on
behalf of the Indian Empire and of the British Colonies in
the Far East any Convention which may be ultimately
arrived at.
In the letter from the Colonial Office enclosed in
the first of the above mentioned despatches it was pointed
out that the Governor of the Straits Settlements suggested
that the reservation made by us in voting for Article 7 of
the draft Convention should be enlarged to cover future as
well as existing arrangements for the distribution of opium
in the Malay Peninsula and in the neighbouring protected
States of North Borneo and Sarawak. We fully share Mr.
Harcourt's opinion that as we had expressly declared that
The Right Honourable
Sir Edward Grey, Bart., M.P.,
&0-,
&c., &c.
the