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1
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
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C
CONFIDENTIAL.
C. O.
13187
[January 22.]
99 11 APR 14, SECTION 1.
348
[32]
No. 1.
Foreign Office to Colonial Office,*
Sir,
Foreign Office, January 22, 1914. I AM directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to inform you that attention has been called to the fact that no provision is included in the International Opium Convention for the accession of colonies or dependencies subsequent to ratification of the convention by the mother country.
Great Britain is naturally affected in an especial degree by this omission. The effect of it will be that, if this country ratifies, the subsequent accession of colonies outstanding at the time of ratification will not be covered by that ratification, and separate ratifications would be required to cover every occasion when the convention was sigued in respect of a colony, for which there is no precedent.
The simplest way out of this difficulty would be to suggest to the Netherlands Government that a protocol should be drawn up to provide for future accessions, and that, in order to avoid reassembling the delegates for that purpose, the representatives of the various Powers at The Hague might be empowered to sign the protocol. It would be possible by these means to dispense with the necessity of ratification as regards the accession of colonies which may subsequently be prevailed upon to adhere to the convention, and a serious obstacle to the deposit of His Majesty's ratification would be removed.
Sir E. Grey is also in communication with the Board of Trade on the subject, and he would be glad to receive your observations thereon at an early date.
* Also to Board of Trade, muutatis mutandis.
[2032 y 1]
I am, &c.
W. LANGLEY.