60.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
C.O
8563
9 MAR 14
OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL,
[February 19.]
SECTION 1.
[6273]
No. 1.
Sir,
Sir Edward Crey to Dutch Minister.
Foreign Office, February 19, 1914. WITH reference to the note which M. van der Goes was good enough to address to me on the 16th ultimo, 1 have the honour to inform you that His Majesty's Govern- ment are happy to accept the invitation of the Netherlands Government to send delegates to attend a conference at The Hague to be held in the month of May next to consider the means to be taken for putting into force the Opium Convention of 1912. The names of the delegates will be communicated at a later date.
His Majesty's Government observe with regret that the Ottoman Government persevere in their refusal to sign the Convention, but it appears to them that it might be possible to induce that Government to waive its objections so far as the traffic in morphine, cocaine, and similar drugs is affected. It is understood that the Ottoman Government is reluctant to lose the important source of revenue provided by the traffic in opium; but, so far as His Majesty's Government are aware, the restriction of the traffic in morphine, &c., would not seriously affect the Turkish revenue, while from the point of view of the British Empire, more particularly of the Far Eastern posses sions and protected States, it is of the utmost importatice that every avenue for the illicit introduction of these drugs should be closed so far as is possible.
I have the honour to enquire whether the Netherlands Government would be willing to make further representations to the Ottoman Government for the signature of the Convention in so far as it relates to the alkaloids of opium, and to state that, in the event of the Netherlands Government agreeing to this course, I shall be glad to instruct His Majesty's Ambassador to support his Netherlands colleague in such steps as
may be instructed to take in the matter.
I am, &c.
he
[2033 t--1]
E. GREY.
151
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