CO129-405 - Public Offices - 1913 — Page 301

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as regards Cocaine, the abstention of Peru would

of itself counteract any efforts that the European

Powers

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even if themselves united

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might make to

put an end to the illicit trade in the drug. It

appears from the enclosure in Monsieur Van der Goes'

Note that Switzerland certainly, and Austria-Hungary,

Norway and Peru probably, will not be prepared to

adhere to the Convention.

Should this be so the

Board are strongly of opinion that the convention in

its present form will fuil to produce the beneficial

effects intended, and they therefore consider that

the strongest effort should be made to induce the

Countries named to adhere to the Convention, even if,

as is possible, this should necessitate the postponement

of ratification by His Majesty's Government.

The abstention of any European country of impor-

tance would be fatal to the Convention in two distinct,

ways.

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(1) In the first place, it would be open to manu-

facturers in those countries to prepare morphla and

cocaine and export it without restriction to the East.

In regard to this point the Board understand from Mr.

Whiffen