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No. 60.

HIS MAJESTY'S CONSUL, GENEVA, to FOREIGN OFFICE.

(Received 9 a.m., 15th December, 1924.)

TELEGRAM.

(Copy received in Colonial Office, 16th December, 1924.)

[Answered by No. 62.]

1

14TH DECEMBER. No. 93. (R.). Following from Delevingne for Home Secretary and Sir Eyre Crowe.

Wrote (group undecypherable) fully yesterday reporting discussion of American motion for adjournment until Tuesday. I have discussed position fully to-day with Zahle. He will regard decision of Conference by majority vote in favour of considera- tion of American proposal as inadmissible on the grounds of interpretation of 5th and 6th Assembly resolutions of 1923 and on international grounds and I think in that case he will probably resign. He has worked hard to find a way out of the difficulty and has discussed several suggestions with me; best course, in my opinion, is that I should move immediate adjournment of Conference over Christmas when Conference meets Tuesday morning. This could be supported on the ground that British, and perhaps other Governments, wish to consult their representatives before question of American proposal is taken any further. Accordingly I suggest that Government instruct me to return at once for consultation on position and to propose on Tuesday, in view of this, that Conference adjourn until a date in January. Adjournment of motion would as a motion of order take precedence over adjournment of discussion of American proposal and would no doubt be accepted by Conference. Zahle agrees with sugges- tion. Adjournment would give time for exchange of views with American and other Powers if desirable.

As regards alternative course to hold joint meeting of both Conferences such meeting would be necessarily informal and no vote could be taken. It might give temporary satisfaction to Porter, who would claim it as a victory but, as American proposal cannot be accepted by Governments concerned, no result satisfactory to Porter will ensue and in the end the effect on American opinion will be possibly worse. Immediate adjournment will still leave possibility of joint meeting later if it is thought desirable.

Dutch Delegate, President of First Conference, strongly opposed joint meeting at present. I do not know view of French colleague. If my suggestion approved, I suggest it should be communicated to French and Netherlands Governments with a view to their representatives supporting me Tuesday. Twelfth January would be probably suitable date for reassembly of Conference but I suggest that this might be left to me to settle after consulting some of the Delegations of distant countries like Canada. I must give notice of motion to-morrow, Monday evening, whatever course (? decided, omitted) on by Government; instructions should reach me to- morrow, 15th December, if possible, for my guidance Tuesday.

58879/24.

No. 61.

FOREIGN OFFICE to MR. LONDON (GENEVA).

(Sent 1 p.m., 12th December, 1924.)

TELEGRAM.

(Copy received in Colonial Office, 17th December, 1924.)

No. 120. (R.). Following for Delevingne :-

Scope and terms of declaration as to Commission of Inquiry are under considera- tion by Cabinet Committee. Malkin arrives Monday and will explain position,

No. 62.

FOREIGN OFFICE to MR. LONDON (GENEVA). (Sent 3.35 p.m., 15th December, 1924.)

TELEGRAM.

(Copy received in Colonial Office, 17th December, 1924.)

No. 122. YOUR telegram, No. 93, of 14th December.*

Following for Delevingne :-

You should propose adjournment to whatever date you think best and return at once for consultation. Home Office agree.

59890/24.

No. 63.

GENEVA OPIUM CONFERENCES.

MINUTES OF INTERDEPARTMental ConfERENCE IN THE DEPUTATION ROOM IN THE HOME OFFICE AT 4.45 P.M., ON FRIDAY, 19TH DECEMBER, 1924.

Present:-

The HOME SECRETARY (in the Chair).

SIR JOHN ANDERSON, G.C.B.

SIR MALCOLM DELEVINGNE, K.C.B.

MR. G. D. KIRWAN, M.C.

MR. M. D. PERRINS

Home Office.

Secretaries

Foreign Office.

MR. S. P. WATERLOW, C.B.E.

MR. H. W. MALKIN, C.B., C.M.G.

MR. B. C. NEWTON

MR. A. W. G. RANDALL, O.B.E.

SIR GILBERT GRINDLE, K.C.M.G., C.B. MR. J. J. PASKIN, M.C.

SIR LOUIS KERSHAW, K.C.S.I., C.I.E. MR. P. J. Patrick

MR. G. G. DIXON

Colonial Office.

India Office

Ar the request of the Home Secretary, SIR MALCOLM Delevingne outlined the events which had led to the adjournment of the Second Opium Conference. He remarked in passing that the work of the Sub-Committees of this Conference had been very largely completed, and useful results had been obtained. The matter which had led to the deadlock was the American proposal to amend Article & of The Hague Convention so as to require those countries in which opium smoking was still permitted to reduce every year their imports of opium for smoking purposes by 10 per cent. of their existing imports, thereby bringing about complete suppression at the end of ten years. This proposal, of which there had been no warning prior to the publica- tion of the draft American scheme three days after the Conference opened, had the effect of reopening a matter which had been the special subject of consideration at the First Opium Conference. Sir Malcolm Delevingne's instructions had been definitely not to admit that this question could be reopened at the Second Conference. When the debate on the American proposal came up at short notice, he had spoken in accord- ance with these instructions and he had finally made the suggestion (as an announce- ment of policy but not as a proposal for discussion at the Second Conference) for an impartial Commission to visit the Far Eastern Territories where opium smoking was still permitted. He remarked that this proposal had not been taken up by any of the Delegations present except the Japanese. When it became apparent that the Americans were intending to force their proposal to an issue, he had suggested that he should be given, and had received, further instructions to propose an immediate adjournment over Christmas, but it had been unnecessary for him to make a motion on this subject in his own name, as the President (apparently with the agreement of the American Delegation) himself proposed an adjournment until the 12th January, and this proposal was accepted unanimously.

* No. 60.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TEC.O. 882/11

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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