CO129-373 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 33

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government}

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OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[28253]

No. 1.

Foreign Office to India Office.*

RECO [Aug20] SEP 10.

SECTION 1.

Sir,

Foreign Office, August 26, 1910. WITH reference to your letter of the 3rd instant, I ani directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to transmit to you herewith, for the concurrence of the Secretary of State for India, a draft of the reply which it is proposed to return to the United States Ambassador in regard to the proposal of the United States Government for the participation of this country in the Opium Conference to be held at The Hague.

It will be seen that the note has been drawn up in accordance with the recommendations of the Inter-Departmental Committee held at the Foreign Office on the subject on the 12th ultimo, with the exception that no mention is made of the memorandum by the Government of India-recommendation No. 5 of the committee--- on the report by Dr. Hamilton Wright of the proceedings of the Shanghai Commission. Sir E. Grey is of opinion that in the first instance it will be desirable to obtain the opinion of Sir C. Clementi Smith, the principal British delegate at the Shanghai Commission, on the memorandum, and that in any case it does not directly affect the main question of the participation of this country in the forthcoming conference.

if necessary,

I am to suggest that the criticisms contained in the memorandum can, be communicated to the United States Government independently at some future date, or, should a decision be arrived at that this course is not advisable, that the memorandum will, if Dr. Hamilton Wright's report is referred to at the conference, provide the material for refuting the statements in that report.

Sir E. Grey would be glad to be favoured with Lord Morley's observations on this matter in due course.

abi,

Stc.

W. LANGLEY.

W.

[2860 cc-1]

* Also to Colonial Office and Board of Trade, mutatis mutandis.