540.61B3/268: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Bucknell) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 10—6:12 p.m.]
188. From Everett. Department’s telegram 103, September 9, 4 p.m. paragraph No. 5 [4]. The conference on educational films met today and after a general discussion decided tentatively to change the form of the instrument to be concluded in order to simplify the procedure for bringing it into force. Instead of concluding a protocol which would require ratification it is now planned to draw up a procès-verbal similar in form to that opened for signature on June 26, 19365 to alter the latest date of issue of the annual statement of world requirement of drugs provided for by the 1931 narcotics limitation convention.6 Such an instrument would include no provision for deposit of ratification and could thus be put into effect by the executive authority in each country unless the national law of the country demanded ratification by a legislative body.
The essential clause of the procès-verbal will comprise what is now article 1 of the draft protocol. Apparently only a change of form is contemplated without any change of substance.
The matter has been submitted to a drafting committee which expects to present a draft to the plenary conference on Monday afternoon. Unless otherwise instructed I shall not raise any objection to the proposed procedure. [Everett.]
- League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. cxcviii, p. 299.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1931, vol. i, p. 675.↩