[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[January 16.]
559
SECTION
C
[2263]
No. 1.
2546
Sir,
Board of Trade to Foreign Office.-(Received January 16.)
Board of Trade, January 16, 1912.
823 JAN 12)
I AM directed by the Board of Trade to acknowledge the receipt of your letters, dated the 13th and 15th January, transmitting copies of a telegram and despatch from the British delegates to the Opium Couference, with reference to the terms of the adhesion and ratification clauses of the proposed convention.
The proposal of the drafting committee of the conference, although providing for the supplementary signing of the convention by all the Powers of Europe and America, does not appear to provide in terms for the procedure to be followed in the event of such signatures not being obtainable. The Board accordingly venture to suggest that the amendment numbered 4A, proposed by the British delegates, should moe appropriately precede the draft article numbered 4, and form part of the section headed Signature supplémentaire." They are disposed to think that the convention should not in any event be ratified on behalf of His Majesty's Government until there has been an opportunity of considering whether the signatures affixed by the States which are not represented at the conference are sufficient in number and importance to justify such ratification.
But in view of the possibility of such States signing, but failing to ratify, the convention, a similar situation would also arise, so that it would seem desirable that there should be a further amendment appended to article 7 of the draft making provision for such a situation. The article numbered 10, as originally drafted, appears to meet this point to some extent, but the article which it is proposed to substitute for it, though it has the advantage of meeting the point referred to in the following paragraph of this letter, does not appear to provide for this particular contingency.
As regards the difficulty contemplated in the Board's letter of the 12th January, that the German Government might not find it possible to introduce adequate legisla- tion, although, the convention having once been signed and ratified, Great Britain would be compelled to enact such legislation, the Board recognise that, as above stated, the proposed new article 10 meets this point to some extent, but they are at some loss to understand what is intended to be meant by the date of the coming into force of the and convention (article 8), seeing that it is apparently possible by virtue of article the new article 10 that the convention, though in force by virtue of article 8, has not necessarily resulted in legislation being enforced by the contracting States. In other words, the Board are inclined to suggest the entire omission of article 8, and the alteration of the last line of article 9, so as to make it refer not to the date of coming into force of the convention, but to the date on which the last ratification has been received. If this suggestion be adopted, it would be advisable that a definite period
un délai aussi court que possible." should be substituted in article 5 for the words
The Board accordingly venture to suggest that the enclosed rearrangemen and modification of the draft might be sent to the delegates with instructions to propose it, should they see no objection to this course.
I am, &c.
GEO. J. STANLEY.
Enclosure in No. 1,
Signature supplémentaire.
LES Puissances nou représentées à la conférence seront admises à signer la présente convention.
2. Dans ce but le Gouvernement des Pays-Bas invitera immédiatement après la signature de la convention par les plénipotentiaires des Puissances qui ont pris part à
[2340 q-1]