CO129-383 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 361

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

MAY

[B]

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[16412]

No. 1.

[May 4.]

SECTION 1.

357

Sir Edward Grey to Baron Gericke.

Sir,

Foreign Office, May 4, 1911. HIS Majesty's Government have had under their consideration the note of the 22nd ultimo, in which you were good enough to inform me that the German and Japanese Governments are not yet in a position to accept the conditions on which His Majesty's Government consent to take part in the proposed Opium Conference at The Hague, and that the Portuguese Government reserve their opinion as to the possible date for summoning the conference.

In reply to the enquiry made in your communication, I have the honour to inform you that, for the reasons stated in my note of the 31st January last, His Majesty's Government much regret that the circumstances above referred to constitute an objection, from their point of view, to the assembling of the proposed conference at such an early date.

I have much pleasure, at the same time, in intimating that the Government of India are prepared, in accordance with the views expressed in the fourth resolution of the Shanghai International Commission, to prohibit, if desired, the export of opium to prohibitionist countries, and to take all reasonable supplementary measures to make this prohibition effective, independently of the meeting of the proposed conference.

I should be glad if the Government of the Netherlands would have the goodness to convey an intimation to the above effect to the Powers interested.

I have, &c.

(2011 --1]

E. GREY.