[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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Rot26 JAN 12
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL
[51160]
No. 1.
[December 21.]
SECTION 6.
Sir,
Board of Trade to Foreign Office.-(Received December 21.)
Board of Trade, December 21, 1911.
I AM directed by the Board of Trade to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th December with regard to the proposal which has been submitted to the Opium Conference, that the States represented at the conference should agree to prohibit the importation and exportation of "prepared opium."
The Board understand that the definitions of raw, prepared, and medicinal opium adopted by the conference are in accordance with the ordinary usages of British manufacturers, and they are informed that, so far as can be ascertained, prepared opium, as so defined, is not manufactured in appreciable quantities in the United Kingdom. They accordingly see no objection to the British delegates at the conference being authorised to vote in favour of the proposal in question.
I aim to add that the Commissioners of Customs and Excise, with whom the Board have been in communication, have pointed out that legislation will be required to give effect to this proposal if accepted by His Majesty's Government, but they have expressed their readiness, if suitable legislation in this sense be passed, to do their best to make the prohibition effective, so far as the Customs machinery can be adapted for the purpose.
am, &c.
GEO. J. STANLEY.
[2297 x-6]