CO129-395 - Public Offices - 1912 — Page 225

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

CO 1.402

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

ग्रे

[52330]

No. 1.

Foreign Office to Colonial Office.*

SECTION 1.

[December 3023 APR 12

223

Sir,

Foreign Office, December 30, 1911. WITH reference to previous correspondence on the subject of the International Opium Conference, I am directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to transmit to you, for the information of Mr. Secretary Harcourt, the following documents received from the British delegates to the conference :-

This

(A.) A proposed convention in the form adopted by the drafting committee. convention will be finally considered by the conference when it reassembles on the 8th January, and it is not anticipated that any alterations in substance will be made.

(B.) The draft of articles respecting ratification, adhesion, and denunciation. Further discussion will be required in regard to these articles, the British delegates having submitted a counter-draft, according to which the convention will come into operation independently of the adhesion of non-signatory Powers.

>>

(C.) The draft of a "final protocol" showing certain roue which the conference has adopted.

(D.) The draft of an "additional convention containing articles referring especially to China which it is proposed shall be signed by the representatives of those of the participating Powers who have treaty rights in that country.

I am to explain that the proposed articles of the convention have not in every case been accepted without reserve by all of the delegates.

With regard to article 7 (document (A)), I am to say that the second sentence was added to meet the wishes of the Portuguese delegates, and the following article was inserted with special reference to the case of Portugal. In addition to the reserve thus made (of which His Majesty's Government would, it is presumed, not take advantage), the interests of the British Crown colonies have been safeguarded by a declaration by the British delegates, worded as follows:--

"The British delegation desires that its vote may be recorded in the affirmative on the understanding that the resolution does not interfere with the arrangements for the preparation and distribution of opium now in force in the Malay Peninsula or elsewhere in His Majesty's dominions, which are clearly a question of internal, as opposed to international, traffic."

Enclosure in No. 1.

(A.)

I am, &c.

W. LANGLEY.

CONFÉRENCE INTERNATIONALE DE L'OPIUM: COMITÉ DE RÉDACTION.

Convention internationale de l'Opium.

LES hautes parties contractantes,

Désireuses de marquer un pas de plus dans la voie ouverte par la Commission internationale de Shanghai de 1909;

Résolues à poursuivre la suppression progressive de l'abus de l'opium, de la morphine, de la cocaïne ainsi que des drogues préparées ou dérivées de ces substances donnant lieu on pouvant donner lien à des abus analogues;

* Also to India Office and Board of Trade, mutatis mutandis,

[2297 gg-1]

B

Ly