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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL,
[50742]
No. 1.
[December 18.]
SECTION 2.
Sir,
Foreign Ofice to Colonial Office.
Foreign Office, December 18, 1911. WITH reference to my letter of the 15th instant, on the subject of the Opium Conference, I am directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to state, for the information of Mr. Secretary Harcourt, that Mr. Max Müller, writing on behalf of the British delegates, has called attention to the fact that the expression "prepared opium," as defined by the conference, is intended to refer simply to opium prepared for consumption by smoking or eating, and not to opium dried or powdered for the manufacture of morphia.
With regard to the point raised in your letter of the 14th instant, Mr. Max Müller is inclined to think that the adoption of the proposed resolution prohibiting the importation and exportation of prepared opium would not affect the supply of that article by a British colony to a State under British protection. He suggests that, if there is any real doubt on the subject, the British delegates might be instructed to make a reservation to the above effect, but he considers (and Sir E. Grey agrees) that the insertion of such a reservation should, if possible, be avoided.
It appears that all of the States represented at the conference, with the exception Portugal-who is unwilling to make any concession likely to injure the trade of Macao- have agreed to the proposed resolution, and it would be regrettable if His Majesty's Government were obliged to associate themselves with Portugal alone in this respect.
As it is anticipated that it may be possible to terminate the labours of the conference at the end of this week, Sir E. Grey would be glad to be placed in a position to send telegraphic instructions to the delegates in regard to the proposed resolution at an early date.
I am, &c.
F. A. CAMPBELL.
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