CO129-416 - Public Offices - 1914 — Page 627

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THE HAGUE, REDZAJU

1914.

f

As we have already informed you in our telegrams,

certain of the Powers Signatories of the Opium Conven-

tion of 1912 have not deposited their ratifications,

nor are they able to give any assurance that they will

be able to do so by a given date. A considerable mum-

bar of these Powers are prevented from fixing a date

for ratification merely owing to a provision of their

Constitution that ratification is subject to the Banc-

tion of their legislatures, and their Delegates cannot

pledge their legislatures to take the necessary steps

by a fixed date. Other countries are unable to ratify

for other reasons. For instance the German Delegate

explained that Germany could not ratify at present

owing to the abstention of such countries as Austria-

Hungary and Turkey and the reserve appended to her

signature by Sweden. The French Delegate declares

that

The Right Honourable

Sir Edward Grey, Bart., K.G., M.P.

&c., ac., &c.,

!