CO129-385 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 170

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE NETHERLANDS MINISTER BEING AN EXCERPT FROM GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED TO AMERICA DARTS TO THE

INTERNATIONAL OPIUM CONFERENCE.

the

The need of an International Conference was suggested by

American Delegation to the International Opium Commission

at one of the final sittings of that body which met at

Shanghai in February, 1909; and although no formal action

was taken, the Department of State, having considered the

unanimous conclusions arrived at by the Commission as a whole

and the report of the American Delegates thereto, deemed it

advisable to issue a proposal to the interested Govermenta

that a Conference should meet at The Hague, or elsewhere,

composed of one or more delegates of each of the participating

powers, and that such delegates should have full powers to

give to the main salutary propositions of the Commission and

the essential corollaries derived therefrom the force of law

and international agreement. Therefore, on the 1st. Sept-

ember, 1909, this Government issued a circular proposal to

the Governments concerned, in which it was stated that the

United States had learned with satisfaction of the results

achieved by the International Opium Commission; that in the

opinion of the leaders of the anti-opium movement much had

been accomplished; and that both the Government and people

of