File No. 511.4A1/1429.
[Inclosure—Translation.]
Final Protocol of the Second International Opium
Conference, 1913.
The Second International Opium Conference, convoked by the Government
of the Netherlands by virtue of Article 23 of the International
Opium Convention,3 met at The Hague, in the Palace of the Counts,
July 1, 1913.
The Governments enumerated below took part in the Conference, for
which they had designated the following-named delegates:
[Here follow names of Governments and delegates.]
In a series of meetings held from the 1st to the 9th the conference
after examination of the question put before it by paragraph 2 of
Article 23 of the International Opium Convention of January 23,
1912—
I. Decided that ratifications may be deposited from this moment.
II. Unanimously adopted the following resolution:
resolution.
Desirous of following up in the path opened by the
international commission of Shanghai of 1909 and the first
conference of 1912 at The Hague, the progressive suppression
of the abuse of opium, morphine, cocaine, as well as of
drugs prepared with or derived from those substances, and
deeming it more than ever necessary and mutually
advantageous to have an international agreement on that
point, the Second International Conference—
1. Utters a wish that the Government of the Netherlands be
pleased to call to the attention of the Governments of
Austria-Hungary, Norway, and Sweden the fact that the
signature, ratification, drawing up of legislative measures,
and putting the convention into force constitute four
distinct stages which permit of those powers giving their
supplemental signatures even now.
Indeed, it is seen from articles 23 and 24 that a period of
six months is allowed to run between the going into effect
of the convention and the drawing up of the bills,
regulations, and other measures contemplated in the
convention. Furthermore, the third paragraph of article 24
gives the contracting powers the liberty to reach an
agreement, after ratification, upon the date on which the
said legislative measures shall go into effect. Besides we
can not refrain from remarking that the difficulties
foreseen by Austria-Hungary, Norway, and Sweden with respect
to their legislation [Page 925] were not unknown to the delegates of the signatory powers
and were subjected to thorough consideration on the part of
the twelve contracting powers. Nearly all the signatory
powers are in the same situation as the above-mentioned
Governments and have not yet elaborated all the bills
contemplated by the convention.
2. Utters the wish that the Government of the Netherlands be
pleased to communicate to the Governments of Bulgaria,
Greece, Montenegro, Peru, Roumania, Servia, Turkey, and
Uruguay the following resolution:
“The conference regrets that some Governments have refused or
neglected to sign the convention as yet. The conference is
of opinion that the abstention of those powers would prove a
most serious obstruction to the humane purposes aimed at by
the convention. The conference expresses its firm hope that
those powers will desist from their negative or dilatory
attitude.”
3. Utters the wish that the Government of the Netherlands be
pleased to point out to the Helvetic Government its error in
deeming its cooperation to be of hardly any value. Contrary
to what is said in the Federal Council’s letter of October
25, 1912, the conference holds that Switzerland’s
cooperation would be most serviceable in its effect, whereas
her abstention would jeopardize the results of the
convention. As to the question raised by the Federal Council
concerning the respective powers of the Federal and Canton
Legislatures, it is to be noted that similar difficulties
were already considered by the first conference, which took
them into account in wording the convention.
4. Requests the signatory Governments to instruct their
representatives abroad to uphold the above-indicated action
of their Netherland colleagues.
III. Utters the wish that in case the signature of all the powers
invited by virtue of paragraph 1 of article 23 shall not have been
secured by the 31st of December, 1913. the Government of the
Netherlands will immediately invite the signatory powers on that
date to designate delegates to take up the question whether it is
possible to put the International Opium Convention of January 23,
1912, into operation.4
In faith whereof the delegates have affixed their signatures to the
present protocol.
Done at The Hague, the ninth of July, one thousand nine hundred and
thirteen, in one copy that shall remain deposited in the archives of
the Government of the Netherlands and certified copies of which
shall be delivered through the diplomatic channel to all the powers,
whether or not signatory.
[Here follows signatures.]
