CO129-426 - Public Offices - 1915 — Page 563

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

C.O

30608

OPIUM.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[37625]

No. 1.

Rac

Ref 5 JUL 15)

[March 31.]

555

SECTION 2.

puna dyski

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received March 31.)

(No. 53.) Sir,

Peking, March 9, 1915. I HAVE the honour to forward copy of a note, dated the 20th February, received from the Wai-chiao Pu, expressing the intention of the Chinese Government to put into effect The Hague Opium Convention of the 23rd January, 1912, in accordance with the terms of the Final Protocol of the third Hague Opium Conference of June 1914.

(Copy to India.)

Enclosure No. 1.

I have, &c.

J. N. JORDAN.

(Translation.)

Wai-chiao Pu to Sir J. Jordan.

Sit,

February 20, 1915. IT is laid down in the Final Protocol of the third Hague Opium Conference of June 1914 that if by the 31st December, 1914, all the Powers have not found it possible to deposit their ratifications, it shall be lawful for the Powers whose ratifications have at that date been deposited and who wish to put the convention into effect, to declare their intention to do so by signing the protocol opened at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

His Excellency the Minister for the Netherlands, M. Beelaerts, informed me officially that this protocol had been prepared by the Netherlands Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and this Ministry thereupon telegraphically instructed Mr. Tang Tsai-fu, the Chinese Minister to The Hague, to sign the protocol formally declaring the sincere intention of China to put into effect the principles set forth in the convention. I am now in receipt of a telegram from Mr. Tang Tsai-fu, informing me that on the 11th instant be signed the protocol formally declaring the putting into effect of the convention as from the date of this signature.

The various signatory Powers having rendered China valuable assistance in effecting the prohibition of opium, morphia, and cocaine, the Chinese Government has now, in accordance with the method decided on by the Opium Conference, signed the protocol opened at The Hague delaring the putting into effect of the convention, and I have therefore the honour to inform your Excellency that any question relating to these drugs which may arise in the future will be dealt with in accordance with the

I avail, &c.

(Seal of the Wai-chiao Pu.)

convention.

[2371 hh-2]