File No. 511.4A1/1499.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs at The Hague deems it his duty to act
upon the decision of the Opium Conference by informing the States that
have ratified the convention that a protocol, drawn up in accordance
with the opinion rendered by the Conference, has been opened at the
Department of Foreign Affairs at The Hague.
Your excellency will please find herewith a proof of the protocol,
together with a copy of the Final Protocol of the Third International
Opium Conference.
[Inclosure 1—Translation.]
Final Protocol of the Third International Opium
Conference, 1914.
The Third International Opium Conference, convoked by the Government
of the Netherlands in accordance with the third provision of the
Final Protocol of the Second Conference, met at The Hague, in the
Hall of the Knights, on June 15, 1914.
The Governments hereinafter enumerated took part in the Conference,
for which they had appointed the following delegates:
[Here follow the names of the Governments and their delegates.] At a
series of meetings held from the 15th to the 25th of June, 1914, the
Conference, having examined the question submitted to it under the
third provision of the Final Protocol of the Second Conference—
A. Expressed the following opinions:
I. That it is possible to put the International Opium Convention of
January 23, 1912, into operation, notwithstanding the fact that
certain Powers invited in pursuance of paragraph 1 of article 23
have not yet signed the convention.
II. That the convention shall go into effect among the Signatory
Powers as soon as the Powers that have signed it and those that have
expressed their intention of adhering thereto have ratified it. The
date upon which the convention will go into effect shall be that
fixed by paragraph 1 of article 24.
III. That if at a date to be determined by the Conference all the
Signatory Powers have not yet deposited their ratifications it shall
be allowable for those Signatory Powers whose ratifications have at
that date been deposited to put the convention into effect. The same
provision is made for those Signatory Powers that successively
deposit their ratifications after that date.
IV. That the date contemplated by III shall be December 31, 1914.
V. That the power of acceding to the convention do remain open to the
Powers that have not yet signed it.
B. Decided:
That a protocol shall be opened at The Hague by which the Signatory
Powers disposed to avail themselves of the provision made by III may
declare their intention of putting the convention into effect.
His Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands,
satisfying the desire unanimously expressed by the Conference, has
consented to draw up this protocol, which will remain open for
signature.
C. Unanimously adopted the following resolution:
The Conference invites His Excellency the Minister for
Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands to make, in the name of
the Conference, urgent and respectful representation to
those Signatory Powers that have neither ratified the
convention nor expressed their intention of so doing, with a
view to induce them to declare themselves ready at an early
date to deposit their ratifications, in order that the
convention may go into effect as soon as possible.
In witness whereof the delegates have affixed their signatures to
this protocol.
Done at The Hague
June 25,
1914, in a single instrument, which shall be
deposited in the archives of the Government of the Netherlands,
and copies of which, duly certified, shall be forwarded through
diplomatic channels to all the Powers, whether Signatory or not
Signatory.
[Signatures.]
[Inclosure 2—Translation.]
Protocol relative to putting into effect the
International Opium Convention.
The undersigned, having been authorized by their respective
Governments in pursuance of the provision in III of the Final
Protocol of the Third International Opium Conference, declare that
their Governments, having ratified the International Opium
Convention of January 23, 1912, intend to put it into effect.
For the Powers that sign the protocol before December 31, 1914, the
convention will go into effect on that date; for the Powers that
sign the Protocol after Decembr 31, 1914, the convention will go
into effect on the day of signature.
