890.114 Narcotics/17

Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Ballantine)

On June 26, 1943 the Department addressed letters to the Secretaries of the Treasury, of War and of the Navy outlining the general policy which was adopted by our Government many years ago as regards the restriction of the use of narcotic drugs to medical and scientific requirements, and requesting their views concerning the advisability immediately upon the occupation by our forces of part or the whole of any one of the territories in the Far East now occupied by Japanese forces of seizing all drugs intended for non-medical purposes which may be discovered and of closing any existing opium shops or dens. In those letters it was stated that wherever our forces are in complete control it is assumed that they will be guided by our long established narcotics policies, but where they are collaborating with other members of the United Nations, our Government will take steps to obtain the concurrence on the part of those members in our proposed action.

The War Department, under date July 7, 1943, replied8 that it believed that the best interests of the armed forces will be served by [Page 1071] strict control of all opiates in countries which may be occupied by our forces, and that to this end the War Department is prepared to cooperate fully in carrying out policies which may be agreed upon by the interested Allied governments.

The Navy Department, under date July 8, 1943, replied9 that the proposed action is desirable and practicable and that a common policy based on agreements with the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and China is clearly desirable because the United Kingdom has expressed a desire to control through the Combined Chiefs of Staff occupational policies in their former territories regardless of which Allied forces may occupy them.

The Treasury Department, under date July 23, 1943, replied9 that it is extremely gratifying to note that the Department of State has taken the initiative in this matter and that it takes pleasure in pointing out that the time is propitious to abolish smoking opium monopolies when the United Nations recapture territories where monopolies were formerly in existence.

In view of the favorable nature of these replies, this Division believes that the Department should now solicit the concurrence of the British, Chinese, Netherlands and other interested Governments in a common policy having as an objective the suppression of the nonmedical use of narcotic drugs in areas in the Far East now controlled by Japanese forces immediately upon the capture of such areas by the armed forces of the United Nations.

There is attached hereto, for your consideration, the text of a draft aide-mémoire to be delivered to the British Ambassador, in which this proposed common policy is set forth.10 The substance of this aide-mémoire has already been approved by the Commissioner of Narcotics and by Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Gaston. Any suggested changes therein which you may wish to offer will be appreciated. If approved, identical aides-mémoire will be prepared to be delivered to the representatives of the Chinese and Netherlands Governments in Washington, and a similar aide-mémoire, with slight changes, to be delivered to the Portuguese Minister. FE believes that it would be desirable that such communications be handed by a secretarial officer to the representatives in person, so that the documentary presentation of the subject may be supplemented by appropriate oral comment.

It has been suggested that in drafting the aide-mémoire intended for the Netherlands Government care be taken because of the sensitivity [Page 1072] of the Dutch not to state that this Government feels that it will be necessary for the protection of our forces to seize all drugs which may be found and to close all opium shops in areas formerly under the control of the Netherlands Government. Inasmuch as it is the Japanese Government and not the Netherlands Government which is now operating opium monopolies in the Netherlands Indies, this Division does not perceive the force of this suggestion, especially in view of the consideration that our forces are expected to take a prominent part in driving out the Japanese from Dutch territories in the Southwest Pacific. The least that can be expected is that our authorities be placed in a position to take steps to safeguard the health of our forces. It is of course desirable that the communications handed to the British and Dutch be identic.

This Division is of the opinion that the present is an opportune time to approach the interested governments with a view to the suppression of the smoking of opium in the Far East.

In the event of the recognition by this Government of an organization representative of the Free French, an aide-mémoire on this subject would be delivered to the head of that organization’s mission in Washington.

J[oseph] W. B[allantine]
  1. Reply not printed.
  2. Reply not printed.
  3. Reply not printed.
  4. Not printed. This memorandum by Mr. Ballantine and the accompanying draft aide-mémoire were circulated for consideration to the Divisions of European, and Near Eastern Affairs; to the Office of the Legal Adviser; to the following Advisers on Political Relations: James Clement Dunn, Stanley K. Hornbeck, and Wallace Murray; and to Assistant Secretary Adolf A. Berle, Jr., who noted, “agree—go ahead”.