Office of the Historian

890.114 Narcotics/30

The Netherlands Ambassador (Loudon) to the Secretary of State

No. 5877
Washington, September 29, 1943.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of an Aide-Mémoire dated September 21, 1943,16 proposing certain changes in the regulations governing the production and consumption of opium in the Far East.

I have not failed to transmit the contents of the Aide-Mémoire to my Government, which will in due course communicate its observations concerning this matter.

I have, however, received instructions from the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs17 to inform Your Excellency that the Netherlands Government has already decided several months ago to prohibit completely the use of prepared opium in the Netherlands Indies after the liberation and to abolish the previously existing opium monopoly. A declaration of Her Majesty’s Government to this effect is in an advanced state of preparation and will shortly be communicated to all Governments concerned.

I avail myself [etc.]

For the Netherlands Ambassador:
W. van Boetzelaer

Minister Plenipotentiary
  1. See footnote 12, p. 1072.↩
  2. E. N. van Kleffens.↩