CO129-394 - Governor Sir May & Public Offices - 1912 [12] — Page 573

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

561

C O

2546

REJE 26 JAN 12

[January 17.1

SECTION 1.

[2276]

No. 1.

Sir Edward Grey to the British Delegates to the International Opium Conference.*

(No 18.) Sir,

Foreign Office, January 17, 1912. YOUR despatches Nos. 9 and 10 of the 15th and 16th instant, enclosing draft proposals as to the procedure to be followed for the signature and ratification of the proposed convention on the subject of opium and its derivatives, have been carefully considered in consultation with the India Office, Colonial Office, and Board of Trade.

The Board are not altogether satisfied as to the position which this country will occupy after the convention comes into force, and before the enabling legislation for carrying out its provisions makes it effective, and I am directed to enquire what are the exact obligations which will be imposed upon His Majesty's Government by the coming into force of the convention, as stipulated in article 10. It is presumed that the delay of three months between the deposition of the last ratification and the entry into force of the convention is provided in order to give time for the Netherlands Government to notify all the contracting parties of such deposition.

I am further to transmit to you herewith copy of a letter from the Board,† enclosing a draft drawn up by them dealing with the signature and ratification of the convention. This letter was written before your despatch No. 10 was received, and consequently before it was known that the drafting committee had accepted your amendments to the original draft of these articles.

I am to state that the Board of Trade proposals appear, in some respects, preferable to the draft of the committee, and I request that you will carefully consider whether it is not possible to introduce the more important of them into the articles. At the same time I am to authorise you to accept the articles as drafted in your despatch No. 10, if you consider that they are not likely to prove acceptable to the conference in the form suggested by the Board of Trade.

ain, &c.

I

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* Also to Board of Trade, Colonial Office, and India Office.

† Board of Trade, January 16, 1912.

E. GREY.