500.C1197/754

The Secretary of State to the Minister in China ( Johnson )

No. 1418

Sir: The report of the Opium Advisory Committee on the work of its Seventeenth Session (October 30 to November 9, 1933) stressed the lack of official information available in regard to conditions in Manchuria in the following terms:

“…18 Under present conditions, the League is not receiving any reports, as provided for in the International Conventions, in regard to the traffic in opium and dangerous drugs in the territory, or any official information as to the situation there. The Committee feel it to be their duty to represent to the Council the great importance of steps being taken, by whatever channel or method may be found to be most suitable in existing circumstances, to secure the fullest possible information as to the production, sale and use of opium and drugs in the territory, the administration of the laws and regulations which have been adopted on the subject and their effects, cases of illicit traffic, and so on, such as the League receives from other countries and territories. The Committee considers that it is of the utmost importance that the present regime in the territory should be aware of the interest which the opium and drug policy there must necessarily have for other countries and territories and that the assistance of all concerned should be secured in the application there of the measures of control and restriction which have been adopted now by a large majority of the countries of the world.”

When the rapporteur presented the Committee’s report to the Council the covering report which he submitted as rapporteur included the following statement:

Control of the Opium and Drug Traffic in and with Manchuria and Jehol Territory, Also Known As ‘Manchukuo

“The Advisory Committee considered very carefully the bearing on its work—and, generally, on the execution by the League of the duty [Page 362] entrusted to it by the Covenant of supervising the traffic in opium and other dangerous drugs—of the new situation which has been created in this territory.

“The Committee showed grave apprehension at certain information which had reached it revealing a threefold danger which it was its duty under its terms of reference to obviate by all available means: firstly, a fear was expressed by certain members of the Committee that the policy of the new regime, by creating a State Opium Monopoly from which large revenue was anticipated, might result in aggravating the position in regard to opium and other dangerous drugs in a country where the production and consumption of opium were already excessive; secondly, there was the danger of the possible importation of Persian opium into a territory already saturated with drugs; and, finally, the danger which would inevitably arise, not only for China but also for other countries, if the authorities did not take adequate steps to prevent the establishment of secret drug factories in a country possessing abundant stocks of raw opium for such manufacture. As the League was not receiving any reports or any official information as to the situation in the territory in regard to opium and dangerous drugs, the Committee felt it to be its duty to represent to the Council the importance of using whatever methods might be found most suitable in existing circumstances to secure the fullest possible information on the subject.

“I am sure that my colleagues will desire to facilitate the work of the Committee in this matter by every means in their power. Nevertheless, owing to the special position of this territory and the obligation upon the Committee to take account of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee of the Assembly instructed to follow the situation in the Far East, I think my colleagues will agree that an appropriate way of procuring the necessary information is to apply for this purpose to the Governments of the States Members of the League which are in a position to furnish the information required by the Advisory Committee as well as to the Governments of the United States of America and of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.”

The rapporteur’s report was adopted by the Council and, under date of March 16, 1934, the Secretary-General of the League of Nations sent to the Department his circular letter No. C.L.27(a).1934.XI on the subject, a copy of which is enclosed.19 The same letter was sent to the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Similar circular letters were sent to the Governments of Belgium, Great Britain, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Poland. It will be noted that the plan set forth in the Secretary General’s circular letters was put forward by the League Council and not by the Opium Advisory Committee.

The question raised by the Council’s recommendation is regarded as really meaning publication of information secured by Japanese, Russian, British and American representatives in Manchuria, narrowing [Page 363] down in effect to that secured by British and American consular officers.

It would appear that the furnishing of the information as proposed involves, inter alia, two questions of policy, viz.:

(1)
The propriety of furnishing formally information in regard to conditions in countries other than the United States and its dependencies;
(2)
The effect which such action might have on the local relations of American consular officers in Manchuria and on their sources of information.

Prior to the session of the Opium Advisory Committee which was held in May of this year, the American representative in that Committee carefully refrained from handing in for circulation and from quoting in his remarks in the plenary Committee reports on conditions in countries other than the United States and its dependencies. When it appeared advisable or necessary to develop information in regard to territories other than American, his course has been to address questions to the representative of the government concerned or to suggest that the government concerned be asked specific questions. In the confidential discussions (which have taken place in the Sub-Committee on Seizures the meetings of which are not open to the public) of specific cases of illicit traffic, information in regard to circumstances abroad in respect of specific cases has been given by the American representative, and similarly by the representatives of other countries.

In general, the representatives of other countries have followed a similar course, with the exception of the representatives of Great Britain and of France. The British and French representatives have quoted and have circulated newspaper articles describing conditions in China. They have also, without specifically stating the source, circulated reports on the situation in China. When complaint was made (by the Chinese representative) that these reports were anonymous, the British reply was that they were all from reliable and authoritative sources. Practically everyone at once came to the conclusion that they were British consular reports, as most of them were.

In the case of Manchuria, the government recognized as the sovereign (i. e., China) is prevented by existing conditions from obtaining official information as to the situation in that area. This puts the case on a footing which differentiates it from areas in which recognized governments function. Nevertheless, the Department, realizing the desirability of avoiding any action which would embarrass its consular officers in Manchuria, considers it expedient to limit information which it may place at the disposal of the Opium Advisory [Page 364] Committee to that which has been published in Manchurian gazettes or newspapers or otherwise already made public and to refrain from handing over consular reports.

In May last the question was made the subject of an informal oral exchange of views between representatives of the American Embassy in London and the British Foreign Office in which discussion the American and British representatives on the Opium Advisory Committee took part.

On June 7, 1934, in the House of Commons, Sir John Simon made the following statement:

“His Majesty’s representatives in Manchuria will, in the ordinary course of their duties, report any information on this subject which comes to their knowledge. Any trustworthy information not of a confidential character will be communicated to the League in accordance with a request made by the council at its January meeting. Information of this character communicated by His Majesty’s Government or other Governments will no doubt be given publicity in the reports of the League. The answer to the last part of the question is therefore in the negative.”

This statement indicates that the British Government plans to follow a course which concords with the consensus of opinion in the informal discussions just referred to and is similar to that which the Department expects to follow.

There is enclosed herewith, for the confidential information of the Legation, a copy of despatch No. 823 dated July 13, 1934, from the American Embassy in London20 in regard to the intentions of the British Government in connection with the matter under reference.

Very truly yours,

For the Secretary of State:
R. Walton Moore
  1. Omission indicated in the original.
  2. Not printed.
  3. Ante, p. 359.