CO129-385 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 181

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of most importance to the Netherlands Government is for

the Conference to arrive at an agreement as to measures

Theeware

to be taken to combat the smuggling of opium.

Stored folato th

The Russian Government, while approving in prin-

ciple of the general tenor of the tentative programme,

took exception to item (f) inasmuch as there is almost

no production of opium in Russia, and for that reason

the restriction and control of the cultivation of the

poppy, as provided for by that item, would be super-

fluous as far as Russia is concerned, and would oppose

a serious obstacle to the development of one of the

branches of Russian agriculture.

The other powers have accepted the tentative pro-

gramme as a basis for discussion, reserving their par-

ticular views upon it which will be expressed at the

Conference itself.

You will see, therefore, that although the tenta-

tive programme proposed by the United States has been in

some respects narrowed by the reservations made by sev-

eral of the powers, generally speaking the scope of the

work of the Conference has been broadened by the sug-

gestions that it includes in its deliberations the

question of the manufacture of and trade in morphine and

cocaine