File No. 774/693.
Ambassador Rockhill
to the Secretary of State.
American Embassy,
St.
Petersburg, January 29,
1910.
Sir: Referring to the department’s circular
instruction entitled “International Opium Conference” (Sept. 1, 1909),
and to this Embassy’s No. 553 of September 22 reporting the
communication of the invitation to the Russian Government, I have now
the honor to nclose in duplicate copies and translations of a note
received to-day, in which the Russian ministry for foreign affairs
approves in principle the aide-mémoire proposing the conference, but
with a reservation as to the article relating to restrictions upon the
cultivation of the poppy.
I have, etc.,
[Page 294]
[Inclosure—translation.]
The Minister for Foreign
Affairs to Ambassador Rockhill.
Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
St. Petersburg, January 15 (28), 1910.
No. 332.]
Mr. Ambassador: In reply to the note that
Mr. Montgomery Schuyler was so good as to address to me, dated
September 9–22, 1909, I have the honor to inform your excellency
that the Imperial Government has not failed to submit to a detailed
examination the proposition of the Federal Government to convoke an
international conference for the purpose of elaborating, on the
bases established in 1909 by the international commission at
Shanghai, of general regulations obligatory for all countries,
tending to control the importation, and restrain the free traffic,
in opium and its derivatives. I am now able to inform you that the
Imperial Government looks with favor upon the realization of this
project, and intends to appoint an official delegate to take part in
the work of the conference in case the powers come to an agreement
on this subject;
As to the program of the conference set forth in the aide-mémoire
annexed to that note, the Imperial Government, while approving in
principle of its tenor, which in its opinion completely covers the
question and is in entire conformity with the purpose of the
conference, must henceforth insist that article (e) [should be a?] of the program
can not be accented by the Imperial Government, inasmuch as there is
almost no production of opium in Russia. For that reason, the
restriction and control of the cultivation of the poppy, provided
for by article (e) [should be a?], would be superfluous and would oppose a
serious obstacle to the development of one of the branches of
Russian agriculture. The Imperial Government, moreover, expresses
the hope that at the time of the discussion of the measures
projected by the programme, the local conditions of each country may
be taken into consideration, as was stipulated by the Shanghai
Commission.
Accept, etc.,
