[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[6273]
C.O
8563
9 MAR 14
[February 11.
SECTION 1.
No. I.
Sir,
Colonial Office to Foreign Ofice,~(Received February 11.)
Downing Street, February 10, 1914. IN reply to your letter of the 28th January, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to request you to inform Secretary Sir Edward Grey that he sees no objection to the proposal to send Sir W. J. Collins and Mr. W. G. Max Müller as British delegates to a conference at The Hague in May next to consider the means to be taken for putting into force The Hague Opium Convention of 1912.
2. Mr. Harcourt observes with regret that the Government of Turkey perseveres in its refusal to sign the convention, but it appears to him that it might be possible to induce that Government to waive its objections so far as the traffic in morphine and cocaine and similar drugs is affected. Mr. Harcourt understands that the Turkish Government is averse from the loss of the important source of revenue provided by the traffic in opium; but, so far as he is aware, the restriction of the traffic in morphine, &c., would not seriously affect Turkish revenue, while from the point of view of the British Empire, more particularly the Far Eastern possessions and protected States, it is of the utmost importance that every avenue for the illicit introduction of these drugs should be closed as far as possible.
3. He would, therefore, be glad if Sir Edward Grey could be moved to approach the Netherlands Government with a view to renewed representations being made to the Ottoman Government for the signature of the convention in so far as it relates to alkaloids of opium.
[2053 Z-1]
I am, &c. (For the Under-Secretary of State),
H. J. READ.
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