File No. 511.4A1/794.
The Acting Secretary of State to Minister Beaupré.
Washington, September 27, 1910.
Sir: The department incloses for the information of the Netherlands Government a copy of a dispatch to Ambassador Reid, which embodies and is a reply to a cable from him informing the department [Page 316] that the British Government agrees on certain conditions to participate in the international opium conference to be held at The Hague.
You will observe by Mr. Reid’s cable that it is the desire of Great Britain that the interested powers first make a preliminary study of the trade conditions and manufacture of morphine and cocaine in their respective countries, and indicate their willingness to impose severe restrictions on such manufacture and trade before the conference meets. The United States is in entire accord with the proposals of the British Government as to restricting traffic in morphine and cocaine and you will see by resolution 5 of the Shanghai commission, which is quoted in the dispatch to Mr. Reid, the general principle embodied in the British proposals was agreed to by all the powers participating in that commission. You will also learn from the dispatch to Mr. Reid that the United States has already completed its examination of the morphine and cocaine questions, reports on these subjects being contained in the general opium report sent to you under date of August 3 last, a copy of which you are directed to transmit to the Netherlands Government.
As all the Governments represented in the International Opium Commission have now accepted our proposal for the conference except Austria-Hungary, which has declined owing to its slight material interest in the opium question and its lack of possessions in the Far East, it would seem to this Government that the way is now open for an early assembling of the conference. The Government of the Netherlands having most courteously consented to occupy itself with the actual assembling of the conference, it is appropriate to bring the British proposals to the attention for the minister for foreign affairs so that, when issuing the invitations for the conference, he may be in a position to notify the interested Governments of the British proposals in regard to morphine and cocaine, and that these proposals are in entire accord with the decision of the Shanghai Opium Commission as set forth in its resolution No. 5.
Note has been made of the British reservations in regard to items H, L, M, and N, and the British Government has been informed that this Government is not disposed to discuss in the conference agreements particular to Great Britain and China.
Proposals and reservations in regard to the tentative program of our letter proposing the conference have been made by several of the interested powers, while others have agreed to accept the tentative program as a basis for preliminary discussion. These proposals and reservations, as well as those of the British Government, are now being collated and will soon be printed and forwarded to the Netherlands Government for its information and appropriate course when the conference meets.
You will inform the department by cable, as to what action the Netherlands Government proposes to take to bring about an early assembling of the conference. The Siamese Government has already informed us that its delegation will be composed of Phya Visutr Kosa, the Siamese minister to London, and W. J. Archer, Esq., C. M. G., councillor to the Siamese legation in London, which would seem to indicate that the countries farthest removed from The Hague will appoint as their representatives diplomatic officers resident at the European capitals. The American delegation to the conference will [Page 317] be announced as soon as the department learns that the Netherlands Government has issued the invitation for the conference.
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