CO129-416 - Public Offices - 1914 — Page 469

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

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL,

V

[1€208]

No. 1.

[April 14.]

SECTION 1.

(No. 67.) Sir,

Sir M. de Bunsen to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received April 14.)

Vienna, April 10, 1914. WITH reference to your despatch No. 50 of the 7th April, I have the honour to report that, before receiving the same, I ventured to ask Count Berchtold yesterday, in the course of conversation, whether the Austro-Hungarian Government intended to signify their adherence to the Opium Convention. His Excellency told me that the matter had been delayed for a long time owing to a question of the form in which the necessary declaration should be made. Ile promised, however, to look the question up and to see if anything could now be done to hasten adherence, which is in itself desired by the Government if only the difficulty of form could be surmounted.

Count Berchtold was not explicit as to the precise nature of the formal obstacle which has arisen. I understand, however, from my Dutch colleague, who for some time has been pressing Count Berchtold to adhere to the convention, that it arises from the desire of the Hungarian Government to signify its adherence in a separate document; whereas in Count Berchtold's opinion a single document would suffice to intimate that both the Austrian and Hungarian Governments accepted the convention.

On receipt of your above-mentioned despatch this morning I wrote to Baron Macchio, Assistant Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to urge that the matter may be cleared up without further delay, and that, if possible, a definite statement in writing of the intention of the Austro-Hungarian Government to sign the convention may be drawn up immediately.

I have, &c.

MAURICE DE BUNSEN.

[2103 0-

-1]

463

1