во.
4
Pour l'Italie :
BRICHANTEAU.
Pour le Japon:
J. SHINOBU,
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
43460
415
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[October 28,1
19 ALC 13
SECTION 1.
(Avec la réserve de l'approbation ultérieure de son Gouvernement.)
Pour le Luxembourg:
BN. ALB. FALLON.
Pour les États-Unis mexicains :
F. GAMBOA.
Pour les Pays-Bas :
J. T. CREMER.
C. TH. VAN DEVENTER.
A. A. DE JONGH.
J. G. SCHEURER.
Pour le Portugal:
ANTONIO MARIA BARTHOLOMEU FERREIRA.
A. SWETCHINE.
Pour la Russie:
Pour le Siam :
PHYA SUDHAM MAITRI.
WM. J. ARCHER.
Certifié pour copie conforme:
Le Secrétaire général du Ministère
des Affaires Étrangères des Pays-Bas,
[49010]
Sir,
No. 1.
Colonial Office to Foreign Office.-(Received October 28.)
Douming Street, October 27, 1913. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th October, forwarding a copy of a despatch from the British delegates to the Second Opium Conference, and to request you to lay before Secretary Sir Edward Grey the accompanying copy of a despatch which has been addressed to the Governor- General of the Union of South Africa.
to
2. As regards the South African protectorates mentioned by the delegates, Mr. Harcourt apprehends that there will be no difficulty in inducing them to agree the signature of the convention on their behalf, if the Government of the Union are prepared to agree.
3. The Governments of all the West Indian colonies mentioned by the delegates have signified their willingness to adhere to the convention, and to take steps to procure the necessary legislation to carry out its provisions. But only a few of these colonies have as yet actually passed such legislation. The colony of Mauritius and some of the West Indian colonies, to which reference is made, have legislatures in which there is an unofficial majority, and although the executive Government, in whose hands such matters rest, may agree to the signature of the convention, there is no certainty that the legislature will pass the necessary legislation to give effect to the provisions of the convention. If, as is possible, though not, in Mr. Harcourt's opinion, probable, one or more of the legislatures in question should refuse to enact the necessary measures, the position will be that while the Government of the colony has agreed to be bound by the provisions of the convention it is unable to give any effect thereto.
4. The Bahamas and the three colonies of the Windward Islands (Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent) have passed the necessary legislation, and the convention may be formally signed on behalf of those colonies without further delay, if Sir E. Grey so desires. The other colonies (Barbados, Bermuda, British Guiana, British Honduras, the Leeward Islands, and Mauritius) will be asked to expedite the passing of legislation on the subject, but, though it may be anticipated with some confidence that these colonies will eventually adhere to the convention, Mr. Harcourt would prefer, for the reasons stated above, to defer announcing their adhesion for the present.
I am,
&c.
H. W. JUST.
•
*
me
Enclosure in No. 1.
My Lord,
Mr. Harcourt to Governor-General Viscount Gladstone.
Downing Street, October 25, 1913. WITH reference to Lord de Villiers' despatch of the 31st October, 1912, I have the honour to transmit to your Excellency the accompanying copy of a report by the British delegates to the Second Opium Conference. Sir E. Grey has expressed his entire concurrence in the views expressed in this report.
2. You will see that the delegates urge strongly that the Union of South Africa should adhere to the convention, and His Majesty's Government fully share their view of the importance of the co-operation of the Union. Apart from the great importance of establishing complete control over, and the eventual suppression of, the traffic in opium, there is no doubt that the manufacture and distribution of cocaine, morphine, and similar drugs demand the closest and most rigid supervision. It has been remarked in China that the restrictions placed upon the consumption of opium have been followed by an alarming rise in the consumption of cocaine and drugs which are both easier to smuggle and more deleterious in effect.
3. The necessity for international co-operation is pointed out clearly in the delegates' report. In the absence of adhesion to the convention, it would be
open to
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[1903 ee-)
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