Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXV, Organization of Foreign Policy; Information Policy; United Nations; Scientific Matters

327. Memorandum From the Deputy Director of the Office of International Economic and Social Affairs, Bureau of International Organization Affairs (Mulliken) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Gardner)¹

Washington, April 10, 1961.

SUBJECT

• Meeting of the Interdepartmental Committee on Narcotics-Friday, April 7

A meeting of the Interdepartmental Committee on Narcotics was held at the White House from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 7. Mr. Flues, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, served as Chairman and there were representatives present from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, the White House Staff, and the Bureaus of Narcotics and of Customs. The Department of State was represented by Mr. Gardner of IO, Mr. Bevans of L/T, and Mr. Mulliken of OES.

The announced purpose of the meeting was to provide for the Committee being briefed by Mr. Anslinger, Commissioner of Narcotics, on the recent negotiation of a Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and to consider Mr. Anslinger’s recommendations that the U.S. signature to the Single Convention be held in abeyance until such time as the indications are that the 1953 Protocol will definitely not come into force.²

Mr. Anslinger gave an account of the development of the Single Convention and pointed to what he considered its weakness in that it did not provide a closed list of countries which could export opium. He referred to the 1953 Protocol, which contained such a list, and argued that the U.S. should continue its efforts to secure the ratification of the 1953 Protocol prior to considering signing the Single Convention. Mr. Bevans of L/T and Mr. Gardner of IO presented the arguments that the Single Treaty was on balance a satisfactory instrument and should be signed, especially since the U.S. had taken the lead in the ten years of negotiations leading up to the formulation of the Single Convention. It was further pointed out that the 1953 Protocol had been in existence for eight years and had not yet been ratified in such a manner as to bring it into effect and the prospects of appropriate ratification in the near future were not promising.

Most of the discussion took place between the representatives of the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury, with the other members of the Committee asking questions for clarification.

During Mr. Anslinger’s presentation, he referred to the fact that Mr. Flues was going to be attending a meeting of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Geneva in the near future and that he could easily proceed to Ankara, Turkey to persuade the Turkish Government to ratify the 1953 Protocol. The ratification by Turkey would put the Protocol into effect. The general sentiment of the Committee was that this might be done without necessary prejudice to the signing of the Single Convention and that the delay involved was not significant.

The Committee agreed that the Department of State would decide whether there were any overriding objections to approaching the Turkish Government on this matter.

Subsequent to this decision, the Committee would meet again to decide whether the U.S. negotiating position with respect to the Turkish Government would be strengthened if the U.S. had signed the Single Convention.

It was also agreed that before a decision on signing the Single Convention was taken there would be a consultation with Congressional leaders, but there was no agreement as to how this consultation should be arranged.

Mr. White of the White House Staff requested the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury to provide Committee members in writing with the argumentation which had been advanced in favor of and in opposition to the signing of the Single Convention.

There then took place a discussion as to whether there should be a White House Conference on Narcotics. The President during the campaign had promised that he would call such a conference. Officials concerned with narcotics problems have been skeptical as to the value of such a conference. At the same time, the domestic political ramifications of the problem have been recognized. It was decided to set up a subcommittee under the chairmanship of the representative from the Attorney General’s office. The Department of State was requested to provide a representative.

1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1960–63, 341.9/4–1061. No classification marking. Drafted by Otis E. Mulliken (IO/OES).
2. Reference is to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, done at New York on March 30, 1961 (18 UST 1407), and to the Protocol for Limiting and Regulating the Cultivation of the Poppy Plant, the Production of, International and Wholesale Trade in, and Use of Opium, done at New York on June 23, 1953 (14 UST 10).