File No. 774/525.
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador of Austria-Hungary.
Washington, January 23, 1909.
Excellency: Certain powers have at various times during the past year been invited to participate in a joint commission for the investigation of the scientific and material conditions of the opium trade and the opium habit in the Far East affecting their possessions or direct interests in that region.
No Government having expressed any preference as to the date or place of meeting of the commission, the Government of the United States found itself invited to make suggestion, and it thereupon named January 1, 1909, and Shanghai. This time and place were found agreeable and convenient to the other powers concerned.
This Government proposed that each Government’s commission should proceed independently and immediately with the investigation of the opium question on behalf of its respective country, with a view, first, to devising means to limit the use of opium in the possessions of that country; secondly, to ascertain the best means of suppressing the opium traffic if such now exists among the nationals of that Government in the Far East; thirdly, to be in a position so that when the commission meets in Shanghai the representatives of the various powers might be prepared to cooperate or to offer jointly or severally definite suggestions of measures which their respective Governments may adopt for the gradual suppression of opium cultivation, traffic, and use within their eastern possessions, thus assisting China in her purpose of eradicating the evil from her Empire; and, fourthly, to be able to inform the whole commission when it assembles regarding the regulations and restrictions now in force in its respective country, and to formulate and discuss proposals for [Page 98] amending such regulations in points in which they may be found in the course of the joint investigation to affect the production, commerce, use, and disadvantages of opium in the Far East.
The President appointed as commissioners on the part of the United States the Right Rev. Charles H. Brent, missionary bishop to the Philippine Islands; Dr. Charles D. Tenney, Chinese secretary of the American legation at Peking; and Dr. Hamilton Wright, eminent in medical and scientific research.
The commissioners of the United States have investigated in this country the subjects of the imports of crude opium, its derivatives, and chandu; the international consumption of opium, licit and illicit; the internal manufacture and use of chandu; the manufacture of morphia and other opium derivatives; the use of the crude drug and preparations of the same; the use of morphine and other derivatives, licit and illicit; the extent of poppy cultivation; and the Federal statutes regarding importation and municipal laws and ordinances governing the use of opium and its derivatives.
The powers which have accepted the invitation to participate in the conference are China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, Russia, Siam, and the United States.
It was thought best, out of respect to the memory of the late Emperor and Empress Dowager of China, to postpone the conference until February 1, 1909, and, the other powers concurring, the above date has been determined upon.
It now affords me great pleasure to extend to your Government an invitation to delegate representatives who will take part in the deliberations which it is hoped will result in restricting and be instrumental in the final suppression of the opium evil.
Accept, etc.,