Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, General: Political and Economic Matters, Volume II

511.4A5/1–1345

Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of International Labor, Social, and Health Affairs (Mulliken) to the Under Secretary of State (Grew)

[Washington,] February 3, 1945.

This memorandum has been prepared for background purposes in connection with the request of Congressman Walter H. Judd of Minnesota to have a conversation with you² in regard to the failure to date of certain countries to reply to the memoranda sent to them pursuant to the Judd Resolution. As you know, this resolution requests the President to urge upon the Governments of those countries where the cultivation of the poppy plant exists the necessity of immediately limiting the production of opium to the amount required for strictly medicinal and scientific purposes.

At the suggestion of, and after persistent urging by, Mrs. Hamilton Wright,³ Mr. Judd introduced H. J. Res. 241 in the House of Representatives on February 27, 1944. After passing both Houses of Congress unanimously, the resolution was approved by the President on July 1, 1944.⁴

Action by the Department

In compliance therewith, the Department forwarded, on August 21, 1944 to its missions near the Governments of the opium-producing countries with which the United States has friendly relations, the texts of the resolution and of draft memoranda with the request that they be transmitted, in such manner as the missions may consider appropriate, to those Governments, namely, the Afghan, British, Chinese, Iranian, Mexican, Soviet, Turkish and Yugoslav Governments.⁵

In the memoranda, this Government stated that it was prepared to cooperate with all nations in efforts to solve the opium problem and that it hoped that all opium-producing countries would be willing to participate in a conference, expected to be held after the war, for the purpose of drafting a suitable poppy limitation convention. Pending the entering into effect of an international poppy limitation convention, this Government suggested to all the above-mentioned Governments, except China and Mexico, which have already prohibited the cultivation of the opium poppy, that they give consideration to the advisability of announcing at the earliest possible moment that they will hereafter prohibit the production and export of opium for other than strictly medicinal and scientific requirements. It also suggested that they take effective measures to prevent illicit production of opium in their territories and illicit traffic in opium from their territories.

This Government also asked the Governments of the opium-producing countries for their observations in regard to certain provisions which this Government has suggested be incorporated in the proposed poppy limitation convention.

In the memorandum intended for the Government of Iran, this Government urged the Iranian Government to give immediate consideration to the problem of surplus opium in Iran with a view to its control or elimination as soon as possible, as a means of protecting the health of the American soldiers and merchant seamen who are now in that country. Copies of that memorandum were forwarded to the American Embassies at London and Moscow for use as enclosures to the memoranda which those Embassies were to transmit to the British and Soviet Foreign Offices, respectively. In the memoranda to the British and Soviet Foreign Offices, it was suggested that the British and Soviet Governments make appropriate representations to the Iranian Government along the lines of this Government’s proposed representations to that Government.

In a letter dated September 2, 1944⁶ Mr. Judd suggested that the Department of State request the British and Soviet Governments “to collaborate with this Government in strong joint protests to the Governments of certain opium-producing nations such as Iran where large numbers of troops from these allied countries are now stationed and constantly exposed to opium addiction because of the large quantities of the drug which are freely obtainable there.” The Department replied⁷ that inasmuch as this Government had already suggested separate representations, it was not in a position to suggest that joint representations be made.

On October 19, 1944 the Department requested the American Embassy at Tehran to make a comprehensive survey of all phases of the opium situation in Iran and to present a report including recommendations.⁸ The Department also requested the Ambassador to seek an interview with the Iranian Foreign Minister⁹ and forcibly impress upon him the determination of the United States Government and people to urge all opium-producing countries to limit the production of opium to medicinal and scientific requirements. It was suggested that the Ambassador point out that in the postwar period Iran could probably obtain a share of the world’s legal trade in opium, amounting to about 125,000 kilograms a year, and that this share could probably be guaranteed by the inclusion of Iran in a sales agreement similar to that which existed between Turkey and Yugoslavia before the war.

Response to the Department’s action.

The present situation in regard to this Government’s representations pursuant to the Judd Resolution is as follows:

The Afghan Foreign Office, in a note dated November 11, 1944,¹⁰ informed the American Embassy at Kabul that the Afghan Council of Ministers had passed a resolution prohibiting the cultivation of opium in Afghanistan as from March 21, 1945.

The American Embassy at Tehran reported on November 17, 1944¹¹ that the Department’s memorandum and its enclosures were forwarded to the Iranian Ministry for Foreign Affairs on September 20, 1944 but that no reply had been received. The Embassy also reported that a copy of the memorandum had been sent to Dr. A. C. Mills-paugh¹² with a request that he present his comments thereon, but that no reply had been received.

The American Embassy at London reported¹³ that it forwarded the Department’s memorandum and its enclosures to the British Foreign Office on September 8, 1944, that it sent a follow-up to the Foreign Office on December 29, 1944, requesting a reply to its communication of September 8, 1944, and that the Foreign Office responded: “The matter with which it deals is under active consideration in London and it has been necessary to consult the Governments of India and Burma. I hope it will be possible for us to let you have a reply to transmit to the State Department within a very short time.”

The American Embassy at Moscow reported on November 3, 1944¹⁴ that a note received from the Soviet Foreign Office stated that the question of a postwar conference and of the terms which might be included in a convention for restricting the cultivation of poppies is being studied by the competent Soviet authorities at the present time.

No mention was made by either the British or Soviet Governments of willingness to make representations to the Iranian Government.

The Chinese, Mexican, Turkish and Yugoslav Governments have as yet made no response to the Department’s memoranda.

Opium situation in the principal opium-producing countries.

A brief summary of the opium situation in the principal opium-producing countries is set forth below.

Opium is being produced in the occupied and unoccupied parts of China. It may be a long time before the production of opium in China can be completely eliminated even though strong efforts are made to enforce present laws prohibiting the cultivation of the opium poppy.

The Mexican Government is constantly combating illicit production of opium.

The Turkish Government has for some time limited production of opium to legitimate requirements. It will undoubtedly further limit production strictly for medicinal and scientific purposes if the use of smoking opium in the Far East is entirely prohibited.

The Yugoslav and Soviet Governments have for some time limited opium production to medicinal and scientific requirements.

The Iranian Government produces about 600,000 kilograms of opium annually, nearly all of which at the present time is being consumed in Iran to satisfy drug addiction.

India is producing about 300,000 kilograms of opium annually, nearly all of which is consumed in India by drug addicts. Burma’s entire production of about 18,000 kilograms of opium annually is used for smoking or eating.

Danger to American military personnel in India and Iran.

On August 26, 1944 the Department instructed the American Mission at New Delhi¹⁵ to investigate the sale of narcotics to members of the American armed forces in India and, if the situation warranted, to make representations to the Government of India with a view to prohibiting the sale of opium and hemp drugs to American military personnel. The Mission stated in a despatch dated November 16, 1944¹⁷ that reports on the subject had been received from the consular offices at Calcutta, Bombay, Karachi and Colombo, in addition to a detailed report prepared by the American Army authorities. In the opinion of the Mission the information contained in these reports did not warrant representations to the Government of India. The Mission further stated that the reports indicated that despite the easy availability of dangerous drugs in India, addiction among American military personnel was rare and did not appear to be spreading.

Although opium is readily available in Iran, a report dated February 29, 1944 from Headquarters, U.S. Army Persian Gulf Command, Tehran, stated that an investigation conducted by Provost Marshals, medical officers, censors and other persons, as well as the British FSS and CICI disclosed that little evidence was obtained to support the statement that there is considerable use of opium by American soldiers in Iran.

Further action

In view of the fact that American troops are being stationed only temporarily in Iran and India and that it does not appear that many of them have become infected with drug addiction, it would not appear that this Government is in a position to make more forceful representations than have already been made.

The Embassies at London and Tehran can be counted upon to follow the matter closely and to obtain replies from the British and Iranian Governments as quickly as possible.

We are informed that Mrs. Hamilton Wright is responsible for Mr. Judd’s request for a conference to discuss this matter with you.

There is attached hereto a copy of the Judd Resolution.

2. Memorandum of conversation, February 5, 1945, not printed.
3. Elizabeth Washburn Wright, lecturer on opium problems.
4. Public Law 400, 58 Stat. 674.
5. See instruction 4468 to London, August 21, 1944, and footnote 34, Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. ii, p. 1094; see also ibid., p. 1091, footnote 28. For exchanges of notes on this subject, see Department of State Bulletin, December 10, 1944, pp. 725–727 (Afghanistan); ibid., May 13, 1945, pp. 911–912 (Mexico); ibid., June 3, 1945, pp. 1031–1032 (China); ibid., July 8, 1945, pp. 63–69 (Turkey); ibid., July 22, 1945, pp. 129–131 (U.S.S.R.); ibid., February 17, 1946, pp. 237–244 and 261 (United Kingdom).
6. Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. ii, p. 1102.
7. Letter dated September 15, 1944, Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. ii, p. 1103.
8. See instruction 23 to Tehran, ibid., p. 1104.
9. Muhammed Saed Maraghei.
10. Department of State Bulletin, December 10, 1944, p. 727.
11. Not printed.
12. Financial Administrator of Iran.
13. Airgram 38 from London, January 13, 1945, not printed.
14. Telegram 4222, Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. ii, p. 1106. A further statement reiterating the above message was received from Moscow on February 14, 1945, not printed.
15. Instruction 217, ibid., p. 1101.
17. Despatch 870, Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. ii, p. 1107.