500.C1197/896: Telegram (part air)
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 9—5:34 a.m.]
306. The Council yesterday adopted the report of the Rapporteur relating to the report of the Opium Advisory Committee on the work of its 20th session.13
1. The British representative14 referring to the passage on trends of illicit traffic in the United States contained in annex 1, page 25, of the Committee’s report made the following statement:
“This passage constitutes in effect an endorsement by the Advisory Committee to the prejudice of the Governments of the British West Indian colonies of allegations that dangerous drugs in substantial quantities are smuggled into the United States and of a charge that those Governments have persistently neglected to take any steps to assist the competent authorities in the United States by investigating allegations relating to the smuggling of dangerous drugs.
So far as the Governments of the British West Indies and neighboring colonies are concerned His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom are unable to accept these statements. The authorities in these colonies and particularly in the Bahamas have done everything in their power to cooperate with the competent authorities of the United States of America and to assist them by investigating the allegations as to this traffic. The most careful inquiries have failed to reveal evidence that any substantial quantities of dangerous drugs are being smuggled from the Bahamas into the United States either by airplane or in any other manner.”
2. Vasconcellos15 as Rapporteur recalled that the passage referred to was based on deliberations of the Advisory Committee and that its accuracy was not contested during the Committee’s sessions.
3. Eden’s statement seems to me to be based in part on a misinterpretation of the passage referred to.