CO129-384 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 554

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

30841

Met 2 SEP

[B]

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[September 6.]

SECTION 5.

[34424]

No. 1.

Sir Edward Grey to Count Metternich.

Your Excellency,

WITH reference to the memorandum communicated by your Excellency on the

Foreign Office, September 6, 1911. 29th July last on the subject of the proposed opium conference, I have the honour to inform you that I received a note from the Netherlands Minister on the 16th ultimo stating that the Netherlands Government had not been able to comply with the desire of the United States Government that invitations to the conference should be issued for the 16th of October next. They thought it possible that the meeting of the con- ference might take place at some date to be subsequently fixed during the spring of 1912.

I have since learnt that the United States Government are taking further steps with a view to the meeting of the conference before the end of this year, and I have the honour to transmit to your Excellency a copy of a note which I have consequently addressed to Baron Gericke indicating the attitude of His Majesty's Government in the matter.*

I have, &c.

E. GREY,

To Baron Gericke, September 5, 1911.

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