CO129-394 - Governor Sir May & Public Offices - 1912 [12] — Page 465

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THE HAGUE,

* 1627

C

Kao 16 JAN 12

January 13th, 1912. 454

Immediate.

M 8.

(1884)

Sir:-

We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your

despatches No. 12 of the 9th instant and No. 14 of the

11th instant (1491) respecting our authority to sign on

behalf of the Indian Empire and of the British Colonies in

the Far East any Convention which may be ultimately

arrived at.

In the letter from the Colonial Office enclosed in

the first of the above mentioned despatches it was pointed

out that the Governor of the Straits Settlements suggested

that the reservation made by us in voting for Article 7 of

the draft Convention should be enlarged to cover future as

well as existing arrangements for the distribution of opium

in the Malay Peninsula and in the neighbouring protected

States of North Borneo and Sarawak. We fully share Mr.

Harcourt's opinion that as we had expressly declared that

The Right Honourable

Sir Edward Grey, Bart., M.P.,

&0-,

&c., &c.

the