[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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OPIUM.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[18821]
C.O.
24265
RECE
REG 6 JUL 14
No. 1.
[June 12.].
34
SECTION 2.
Sir Edward Grey to British Delegates to International Opium Conference.
Gentlemen,
Foreign Office, June 12, 1914. THE Government of the Netherlands have, as you are aware, invited His Majesty's Government to be represented at a further conference at The Hague, which will have for its object an enquiry into the possibility of putting into effect the International Opium Convention of 1912.
The necessity of another conference with this object in view may be taken to imply that there are certain fresh considerations which have to be taken into account with regard to putting the convention into effect, and which may require a further international agreement not originally contemplated.
In selecting you to be once again their representatives, His Majesty's Government believe that past history will have led you to anticipate that certain contingencies were likely to arise in the above connection, and they are confident that with your long and useful experience of the questions involved you will be fully competent to deal with the problems which may come up for discussion at the conference.
I refer primarily to the situation that may not improbably be created on the one hand through the refusal or delay on the part of certain Powers to sign the convention, and on the other hand, through the failure of a number of the signatory Powers to deposit their ratifications.
It will be as well if I here summarise the position in this respect up to date. The Powers that have not yet signed the convention are Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Servia, and Greece, though the latter is ready to sign, with reservations, however, relating to the production of opium in her newly-acquired provinces.
It cannot but be a matter of regret that Greece does not see her way to signing the convention unconditionally. At the same time the importance of securing her partial co-operation and the partial co-operation of other countries must not be under- estimated, since from the point of view of those countries that contain populations addicted to the use of morphia and cocaine, no steps should be neglected that may tend to prevent any country from becoming a centre for the distribution of those alkaloids. In this respect the co-operation that Greece is prepared to afford would be of considerable value, as it would entail the adoption on her part of measures to control the manufacture and transit of morphia and cocaine salts in or through her territories.
You should accordingly support proposals for signature with reserves by those countries to which the above applies, if their full co-operation is definitely withheld. I recognise, however, that, if it should appear that, as the result of admitting this principle, other countries, which would otherwise adhere in full, are likely to make reservations that would seriously impair the effect of the convention, this might out- weigh the advantage to be gained in respect of the particular countries now in question, and you should therefore keep this point in view in dealing with the matter.
There is no need to demonstrate again the importance that His Majesty's Govern- ment attach to the signature of the convention by Austria-Hungary, since the serious consequences of her possible abstention were pointed out in the instructions given to you prior to the second conference. Every effort has therefore been made at Vienna to secure the signature of the Austro-Hungarian Government, and I am glad to be able to state that the Austro-Hungarian Government have announced their definite intention to co-operate in the enforcement of the convention.
The other consideration that at one time His Majesty's Government felt might constitute a technical obstacle to their proceeding to ratification, was that the conditions requisite for signature and ratification of the convention on behalf of His Majesty's dominions, colonies, dependencies, and protectorates, had not been fulfilled. Happily this is no longer the case, as signature on behalf of the various dominions and colonies has now been authorised.
Egypt has not yet signed the convention, but His Majesty's agent and consul- general has been instructed to recommend the Egyptian Government to do so forthwith.
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