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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.) 502
OPIUM,
CONFIDENTIAL
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[146169]
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[August 24.]
SECTION
C.O.
48641
RECO &
1
(No 1105.) Sir,
No. 1.
Mr. Page to Mr. Balfour.-(Received August 24.)
REG 9 OCT 18
American Embassy, London, August 23, 1918.
I HAVE the honour to inform you that I bave received a communication from the Secretary of State in Washington to the effect that at the Third International Opium Conference, held at The Hague in June 1914, the Protocol of Clôture, signed by the plenipotentiaries of thirty Powers, stated that the Conference placed on record ite opinion that it was possible for the International Opium Convention of the 23rd January, 1912, to be brought into force, notwithstanding that some of the invited Governments had not signed the convention.
The Conference furthermore declared, as recorded in the protocol, that in its opinion it would be lawful for those signatories whose ratifications should be deposited by a date to be determined to put the convention in force, even though others of the signatories should not have deposited their ratifications by that date. This date was subsequently declared to be the 31st December, 1914.
The Conference moreover decided that a protocol should be opened at The Hague by which the Powers desirous of acting in accordance with the opinion above quoted
night be able to declare their intention of putting the convention into force.
The Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs, being satisfied that this was the unanimous desire of the Conference, consented to prepare such a protocol. This ho did, and the protocol has since remained open at The Hague for signature. When the Third International Opium Conference closed the Convention of 1912 had been signed by forty-four out of the forty-six invited Powers, His Majesty's Government being one of the signatories.
The convention at that time had already been ratified by eleven of the signatories, and four others, of which His Majesty's Government was one, had declared their readiness to ratify. Ten other Powers were prepared to ratify so soon as the necessary legislative sanction should have been obtained.
The outbreak of war almost immediately after the adjournment of the Conference interrupted the progress of this great reform which was so nearly completed. From the beginning my Government has taken a lively interest in this movement to restrict the use of opium and other habit-forming drugs, and is greatly concerned lest the good work already done should be made of no effect by a failure of the signatories to put the convention into force.
There seems reason to fear that one result of the war now being waged will be that many sufferers will have become so accustomed to the use of opiates as to be in danger of enslavement thereby, and that, unless prompt measures are taken to put in force the convention upon which the civilised Powers have agreed, a widespread use of opium derivatives will threaten the health and efficiency of their peoples.
Mr. Lansing states that he is sure that His Majesty's Government have not lost interest in this important reform. The Government of the United States fully recognise that the prosecution of the present war demands first attention, but as this matter is of such importance they are disposed to believe that His Majesty's Govern- ment will not be unwilling to carry out their expressed intention of depositing their ratification at The Hague, particularly in view of the facts that the subject has already been so thoroughly considered and that the convention has been signed by them.
In laying this matter before you, I am instructed to state that my Government hope that His Majesty's Government will share the opinion that the Powers which stand for civilisation must work together for the protection of their peoples against the forces that demoralise, and that the signatories of the convention should not only ratify but, by signing the protocol at The Hague, declare their intention to put that convention into force at once.
I shall be grateful if you will be so good as to acquaint me with the views of your Government on this matter at your earliest convenience.
I have, &c.
(For the Ambassador),
IRWIN LAUGHLIN,
!
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