891.114Narcotics/33
The British Ambassador (Howard) to the Secretary of State
Sir: In your note of August 21st last,8 you were so good as to inform me that the United States Government were prepared to instruct the United States Minister at Teheran to support the representations which His Majesty’s Chargé d’Affaires had been instructed to address to the Persian Government with a view to their exercising a more effective control of the illicit traffic in opium from ports in the Persian Gulf, China and other Far Eastern countries; you added, however, that action in the matter would be deferred pending a settlement by the Persian Government of the questions arising through the murder of Mr. Vice-Consul Imbrie at Teheran.9
His Majesty’s Government understand that these questions have been satisfactorily adjusted and they have accordingly instructed me to enquire whether the United States Government would now be prepared to approach the Persian Government in the matter. In this connection, I have the honour to enclose herewith copies of King’s Regulations to His Majesty’s Consular Officers in the Persian Gulf, which came into force on the 1st instant, laying down the procedure to be observed in future before granting clearance to a British ship with a cargo of opium on board.
I have the honour to add that the co-operation of the United States Government in this matter is especially welcome to His Majesty’s Government as demonstrating, at a time when difficulties appear to have arisen in arriving at an agreed settlement for an [Page 683] international policy as regards opium,10 that the United States Government are nevertheless prepared to assist the British authorities in those measures which they are taking, at the expense of British interests, to control the opium traffic in those regions.
I have [etc.]
- Ibid., p. 584.↩
- See ibid., p. 539, bracketed note.↩
- See ibid., vol. i, pp. 89 ff.↩