511.4 A 2/18
The Secretary General of the League of Nations (Drummond) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 30.]
C.L.5.1924.XI
Sir: With reference to my letter C.L. 108, dated October 18th, 1923, I have the honour to inform you that the following Resolution was adopted by the Council at its meeting on December 13th, last:—
“The Council notes the adoption by the Assembly of the Report and Resolutions of the Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium and the Resolutions of the Fourth Assembly.75 It instructs the Secretary-General to take all the action required by these Resolutions and decides that the First Conference consisting of countries having possessions where the smoking of opium is continued should be convoked at Geneva on the 1st Monday in November 1924 and the Second Conference in Geneva on the 3rd Monday in November 1924”.
The special purpose of the Second Conference is set forth in Assembly Resolution VI, a copy of which is attached for purposes of reference.76
As regards the question of what States should be invited to take part in this Conference, the Council after considering the suggestion of the Assembly adopted the following further Resolution:—
“The Council is convinced that the extension of the Second Conference to include all countries which are members of the League or Parties to the Convention of 1912 would result in a correspondingly wider acceptance of the principles embodied in any agreement reached. It therefore instructs the Secretary-General to invite to this Conference all Members of the League and Parties to the Convention of 1912”
I accordingly have the honour, on behalf of the Council, to invite your Government to be represented at the Second Conference, which will take place on the 3rd Monday in November 1924, by a delegate, or delegates, having plenipotentiary powers.
[Page 92]I have the honour further, to inform you that at its meeting on December 13th, the Council decided that a preparatory Committee should be set up to prepare a draft programme for the Conference in question. This Committee is to be nominated by the Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium, and will consist of six members, including one representative of the United States and the two European Assessors on the Advisory Committee.
The Council further resolved as follows:—
“The Council feeling that the success of the Conference depends on the cooperation of the Governments, instructs the Secretary-General to invite the Governments to make proposals for the carrying out of Assembly Resolution VI; such proposals to be considered by the preparatory Committee.”
This Resolution was adopted by the Council in the earnest hope that the Governments, by their cooperation, would make it possible to bring about the suppression of the abuse of Opium and other dangerous drugs.
I accordingly have the honour, on behalf of the Council, to invite the Government of the United States of America to forward to the Secretariat any relevant proposals it may be disposed to make for the consideration of the preparatory Committee, which is being entrusted with the preliminary work of the Conference.
I have [etc.]