CO129-394 - Governor Sir May & Public Offices - 1912 [12] — Page 591

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[January 13

SECTION 5.

579

3533

[1858]

(No. 395.) Sir,

No. 1.

Board of Trade to Foreign Office.~(Received January 13.)

Board of Trade, January 13, 1912.

I AM directed by the Board of Trade to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 11th January, transmitting copy of a despatch fro the British delegates to the Opium Conference, with reference to (1) the regulations to be adopted respecting exports of morphine and cocaine to countries not adhering to the convention and (2) the definition of raw opium.

As regards the first matter, the Board recognise the force of the arguments advanced by the German delegates against providing in the present convention for the restrictions on exports to non-adhering States, and they are in the circumstances prepared to concur in the course suggested, viz., to leave the question undecided until it has been ascertained what States are prepared to adhere to the convention. It will be evident that the adoption of this course makes it more than ever important that the articles with regard to adhesion should be so framed as to make the coming into operation of the restrictions imposed by the convention dependent upon the adhesion thereto of the principal commercial countries of the world. On this point, I am to refer you to the letter addressed to your department on the 12th January.

As regards the second matter, the wishes of this department and of British manufacturers would be sufficiently met provided it is clearly understood that opium simply powdered or granulated is to be treated as raw opium. I am, however, to suggest that this point should be settled indisputably, if not by a clause in the draft convention at least by a decision or determination of the conference, which would be duly recorded in the procès-verbaux.

The Board have never contemplated, as the British delegates appear to assume, that all powdered and granulated opium, however treated, should be considered as raw opium.

I have, &c.

H. LLEWELLYN SMITH,

(2340 n-5]