511.4 A 1/1821: Telegram

The Minister in Switzerland ( Grew ) to the Secretary of State

57. Under date of August 7 Acting Secretary General of League, referring to proposals presented by American delegation at the last meeting of the Advisory Committee on the Traffic in Opium and [Page 108] other Dangerous Drugs which were accepted by the Committee and embodied in its report to the Council which subsequently on July 7th referred report to the Assembly in the hope that action would be taken to make recommendations effective, requests following be telegraphed to Department:

“The report of the Advisory Committee and the minutes of the Council thereon have been forwarded to all states members of the League and the question inscribed on the agenda of the fourth Assembly opening at Geneva on September 3rd. The Fifth Committee of the Assembly which is entrusted with the further study of the question[s] involved will doubtless devote an important part of its discussion to the proposals of the American delegation.

In view of the very important part which the representatives of the United States played as regards the report of the Advisory Committee the Council felt that it would be right to afford the Government of the United States the fullest opportunity of explaining its views on a question in which it has shown such deep interest. At the same time it felt that it would be very helpful to the members of the Fifth Committee to have the possibility of consulting with the representatives of the United States in accordance with the practice of the various committees of the Assembly in past years of having at hand the president or other representative[s] who have taken an important part in the work of the various technical commissions.

To this end therefore I am directed by the Acting President of the Council to state that the members of the Council are in agreement that the presence of an American representative in Geneva at the time of the meetings of the Fifth Committee of the Assembly would be of great value and to extend to the Government of the United States an invitation in this sense.”

For the Minister.
Magruder