File No. 774/682.
The Secretary of State to Ambassador Reid.
Washington, December 28, 1909.
Sir: The department acknowledges the receipt of your dispatch of November 29, last, No. 1093, in which you state that you have communicated to the foreign office a copy of the department’s circular letter of September 1, calling for an international opium conference, with full powers, to meet at The Hague or elsewhere, and that you had received a note from the foreign office stating that the Government of India are being consulted in regard to the proposal put forward by the Government of the United States to conventionalize the resolutions adopted by the Shanghai opium commission.
You are informed that the Netherlands Government accepted the invitation of the United States on the 22d of last November, and at the same time proposed The Hague as the place of meeting. The Netherlands Government desires to be informed as to what Governments have adhered in principle to the meeting of the second conference in order that the necessary preparations may be made for issuing the invitations; also as to the date on which the conference is likely to meet. Further, the Netherlands Government has agreed to the provisional program contained in the circular letter proposing the conference.
In addition to the Netherlands, Portugal has given a favorable reply to this Government’s proposal for a second opium conference, and has already appointed a distinguished commission to study the proposed program and to otherwise prepare for the conference. China has also accepted the invitation of this Government.
I am, etc.,