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  4. Document 44

511.4 A 1/1841: Telegram

The Chief of the American Delegation at the Meeting of the Fifth Committee of the Assembly of the League of Nations ( Porter ) to the Secretary of State

Geneva [ undated ].
[Received September 21, 1923—9 p.m.]

Fifth Committee adopted following three resolutions.

  • Resolution 1. The Assembly expresses its deep appreciation of the very valuable work done by the Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium and other Dangerous Drugs, adopts its report and resolutions taking note of the reservations contained therein, and asks the Council to take the necessary steps to put these resolutions into effect.
  • Resolution 2. The Assembly approves the proposal of the Advisory Committee that the governments concerned should be invited to enter into negotiations with a view to the conclusion of an agreement as to a reduction of the amount of raw opium to be imported for the purpose of smoking [in] those territories where it is temporarily continued and as to the measures which should be [Page 110] taken by the Government of the Republic of China to bring about the suppression of the illegal production and use of opium in China and requests the Council to invite those governments to a conference for the purpose and to report to the Council at the earliest possible date.
  • Resolution 3. The Assembly having noted with satisfaction that in accordance with the hope expressed in the fourth resolution adopted by the Assembly in 1922 the Advisory Committee has reported that the information now available makes it possible for the governments concerned to examine with a view to the conclusion of an agreement the question of the limitation of the amounts of morphine, heroin or cocaine and their respective salts to be manufactured, of the limitation of the amounts of raw opium and the coca leaf to be imported for that purpose and for other medicinal and scientific purposes, and of the limitation of the production of raw opium and the coca leaf for export to the amount required for such medicinal and scientific purposes, requests the Council as a means of giving effect to the principles submitted by the representatives of the United States of America and the policy which the League on the recommendation of the Committee has adopted to invite the governments concerned to a conference for this purpose to be held if possible immediately after the conference mentioned in resolution 2.

The Assembly also suggests for the consideration of the Council the advisability of enlarging this conference so as to include within its scope all countries which are members of the League or parties to the convention of 1912 with a view to securing their adhesion to the principles that may be embodied in any agreements arrived at.

Porter