File No. 511. 4A1/927.
Ambassador Reid to the Secretary of State.
London, December 2, 1910.
Mr. Reid refers to previous correspondence and says he is advised by the foreign office that it has been found necessary to introduce compulsory declaration in England in order to obtain necessary data regarding value and quantities of imports and exports of cocaine and morphine, and that as this can not go into operation until the 1st of January that several months must elapse before the desired statistics can be considered representative of the ordinary course of trade. Mr. Reid adds that the board of trade does not consider it advisable to institute inquiries as to the extent of manufacture of articles in [Page 325] question in the United Kingdom until reliable information on exports and imports is available, and that the foreign office requests that the department be informed of above in order to communicate to other countries concerned.