500.C1197/689b: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain ( Bingham )
132. 1. In accordance with instructions from the League Council the Secretary General of the League under date of March 16 requested the Governments of Belgium, Great Britain, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Russia and the United States to furnish him for the use of the Opium Advisory Committee any information which they can obtain in regard to the traffic in opium and narcotic drugs in Manchuria and Jehol.
2. This plan was put forward by the Council of the League and not by the Opium Advisory Committee.
3. Consideration of the plan to furnish this information in the manner proposed involves inter alia the questions of (a) the propriety of furnishing formally information in regard to conditions in countries other than the United States and its dependencies (b) the effect which such action would have on the local relations of American consular officers in Manchuria and on their sources of information (c) the possibility that an attempt might be made to extend the plan to include China south of the wall as the Chinese government reports dealing with the traffic in that territory have been incomplete.
4. Please inquire orally and informally whether the British Foreign Office, in view of (a) the possible effect on the relations of consular officers in Manchuria and (b) possible repercussions in China which might follow the supplying of information in regard to China south of the wall, would be willing to defer its reply to the Secretary General pending exchange of views with the American Government in regard to the expediency of compliance with the request under consideration.
5. Fuller10 will be in London May 2 to 5 en route to the Opium Advisory Committee and could join in discussion at that time.
[Page 355]6. The Department will await your telegraphic reply before replying to the Secretary General.
- Stuart J. Fuller, Assistant Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs and representative in expert and advisory capacity to the League of Nations Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium and Other Dangerous Drugs.↩