CO129-395 - Public Offices - 1912 — Page 265

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[13415]

No. 1.

262

March 29

Reef 3 MAY 12

SECTION

Sir,

Board of Trade to Foreign Office.--(Received March 29.)

Board of Trade, March 28, 1912.

your letter I AM directed by the Board of Trade to acknowledge the receipt of of the 21st February, transmitting copy of correspondence which has passed between your department and the Treasury relative to the proposed measure for giving effect to the provisions of The Hague Opium Convention, and with reference to the concluding paragraph of Sir E. Grey's letter to the Treasury under date of the 14th February, I am to transmit herewith, for Sir E. Grey's information, copy of a letter which the Board have received from the Colonial Office on this subject together with copy of the reply that they have caused to be returned thereto.

I am, &c.

GEO. J. STANLEY.

Sir,

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

Colonial Office to Board of Trade.

Downing Street, March 6, 1912. WITH reference to previous correspondence, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to request you to inform the Board of Trade that he has received from the Foreign Office a copy of correspondence with the Treasury regarding the responsibility for the conduct through Parliament of the legislation which may be necessary to enforce the provisions of The Hague Opium Convention. It is understood that a copy of this correspondence has been furnished to the Board.

2. In Mr. Harcourt's opinion, the drafting of the necessary legislation should be carried out by the Board, except in so far as postal questions (as suggested in the These would, presumably, be matters for "Protocole de Clôture ") may be concerned. the Postmaster-General. Ile has no doubt that opportunity will be given to this department of considering the draft of any such Bill, and that the Board, if they think it desirable, will consult him during its preparation.

3. Mr. Harcourt will be quite prepared to defend in Parliament the policy of restricting the traffic in morphine, cocaine, and similar drugs from the point of view of the colonies, i..., having regard to the terrible effects resulting in the Far Eastern colonies from the present absence of control over the traffic in the countries of manufacture; but, in his view, the Parliamentary representatives of the Board should be in charge of the necessary measures in Parliament, since the Board is the department concerned in carrying out the policy of His Majesty's Government, so far as trade arrangements in this country are affected.

4. A similar letter has been addressed to the Foreign Office.

I

am, &c.

G. V. FIDDES.

Zy

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

Sir,

Board of Trade to Colonial Office.

Board of Trade, March 28, 1912.

I AM directed by the Board of Trade to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th March, in which you express Mr. Secretary Harcourt's opinion that the drafting of the necessary legislation to give effect to the provisions of The Hague Opium Convention should be undertaken by this department, and that the president should be in charge of the measure in Parliament.

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