was extended for five years from June 4, 1913, and was extended by the Agreement between them of June 3, 1918, for the further period of five years from June 4, 1918, is hereby extended and continued in force for the further period of five years from June 4, 1923.

ARTICLE II

The present Agreement shall be ratified by the President of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and by His Britannic Majesty, and it shall become effective upon the date of the exchange of ratifications which shall take place at Washington as soon as possible.

Done in duplicate, this twenty-third day of June, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-three.

In connection with the signing today of an agreement for the renewal of the Convention of Arbitration concluded between the United States and Great Britain, April 4, 1908, and renewed from time to time, I have the honor, in pursuance of our informal conversations, to state the following understanding which I shall be glad to have you confirm on behalf of your Government.

On February 24 last the President proposed to the Senate that it consent under certain stated conditions to the adhesion by the United States to the Protocol of December 16, 1920, under which the Permanent Court of International Justice had been created at The Hague. As the Senate does not convene in its regular session until December next, action upon this proposal will necessarily be delayed. In the event that the Senate gives its assent to the proposal, I understand that the British Government will not be averse to considering a modification of the Convention of Arbitration which we are renewing, or the making of a separate agreement, providing for the reference of disputes mentioned in the Convention to the Permanent Court of International Justice. Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurance of my highest consideration. CHARLES E. HUGHES

The Right Honorable

Sir AUCKLAND GEDDES, G.C.M.G., K.C.B.,

Ambassador of Great Britain.

No. 523

SIR:

The British Ambassador to the Secretary of State

BRITISH EMBASSY,

Washington, D.C., June 23, 1923

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of today's date in which you were so good as to inform me, in connection with the renewal of the Arbitration Convention of April 4th, 1908, between Great Britain and the United States, that the President of the United States had proposed to the Senate the adherence of the United States, under certain conditions, to the Protocol of December 16th, 1920, creating the Permanent Court of International Justice at the Hague, and that, if the Senate assents to this proposal, you understand that His Britannic Majesty's Government would be prepared to consider the conclusion of an agreement, providing for the reference to the Permanent Court of International Justice of disputes mentioned in the Convention.

Under instructions from His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs I have the honor to confirm your understanding of His Majesty's Government's attitude on this point and to state that if the Senate approve the President's proposal His Majesty's Government will be prepared to consider with the United States Government the conclusion of an agreement for the reference to the Permanent Court of International Justice of disputes mentioned in the Arbitration Convention.

I have the honour to be with the highest consideration, Sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

A. GEDDES

The Honourable

CHARLES E. HUGHES,

Secretary of State of the United States,

Washington, D.C.

NARCOTIC DRUGS

Exchange of notes at Washington June 29, August 7, and December 12 and 28, 1923

Entered into force December 28, 1923

Extended to the Philippine Islands and the Straits Settlements by agreement of October 22, 1927, and January 16 and November 15, 1928 1

1

Department of State files

The British Chargé d'Affaires to the Secretary of State

BRITISH EMBASSY,
WASHINGTON, D.C.,

June 29th, 1923

No. 540

SIR,

I have the honour to inform you, in view of the great interest taken by the United States Government in opium questions and the work of the Opium Committee of the League of Nations, that, at its Fourth Session, held at Geneva from the 8th to the 14th of January, 1923, the Advisory Committee on the traffic in opium made the following recommendation, which was adopted by the Council on February 1st last:

"That the Governments be asked to extend the arrangement for the mutual exchange of information in regard to seizures to include information in regard to the proceedings and movements of persons who are known to the authorities to be engaged in carrying on an illicit traffic in drugs.”

This recommendation has been accepted by His Britannic Majesty's Government and the Secretary-General of the League of Nations has been so informed.

His Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies has addressed a circular despatch to the Governors of all Colonies and Protectorates, in which he expresses the hope that each of them will be able to cause this recommendation to be put into force so far as his own administration is concerned; and

1 Post, p. 470.

he has further directed them to cause any information of the nature indicated, which may be of immediate importance to neighbouring administrations, to be communicated to the British Consul in the country concerned.

In order that the United States authorities may have the benefit of any information which is communicated to His Majesty's Consular Officers in the United States in this connection, I have taken pleasure in instructing His Majesty's Consular Officers to forward any such information to the local authorities in the districts under their supervision.

The Secretary of State to the British Chargé d'Affaires ad interim

AUGUST 7, 1923

SIR:

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note No. 540 of June 29, 1923, in which you informed me that His Britannic Majesty's Government had accepted a recommendation made by the Advisory Committee on the Traffic in Opium at its Fourth Session to the following effect:

"That the Governments be asked to extend the arrangement for the mutual exchange of information in regard to seizures to include information in regard to the proceedings and movements of persons who are known to the authorities to be engaged in carrying on an illicit traffic in drugs."

Your note further stated that His Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies has addressed a circular despatch to the Governors of all Colonies and Protectorates in which he expresses the hope that each of them will be able to cause this recommendation to be put into force so far as his own administration is concerned; and that he has further directed them to cause any information of the nature indicated, which may be of immediate importance, to be communicated to the British Consul in the country concerned. You add that in order that the United States authorities may have the benefit of any information which is communicated to His Majesty's Consular Officers in this connection, you have instructed His Majesty's Consular

Officers to forward any such information to the local authorities in the districts under their supervision.

Your note was immediately referred to the Department concerned, and I have received a reply to the effect that such information coming to the attention of British Consular Officers in the United States may be communicated to the nearest Collector of Customs. A list of the Collectors of Customs is appended hereto.2

I take pleasure in assuring you that the Government of the United States is deeply gratified by the action of His Majesty's Government, and is prepared to cooperate to the fullest extent in transmitting information of the character suggested. To this end, the Department of State is desirous, if agreeable to your Government, of instructing its Diplomatic and Consular Officers to cooperate with their British colleagues, or the competent British authorities (if in British territory) in collecting and forwarding information that will lead to the seizure of illicit narcotic drugs and the detection or apprehension of persons engaged in this traffic.

Accept, Sir, the renewed assurance of my high consideration.

CHARLES E. HUGHES

Enclosure:

As stated.

Mr. HENRY GETTY CHILTON,

Chargé d'Affaires ad interim

of Great Britain.

The British Chargé d'Affaires ad interim to the Secretary of State

BRITISH EMBASSY,

WASHINGTON.

December 12th, 1923

No. 1059

SIR:

With reference to the note which you were so good as to address to me on the 7th of August last, with regard to the extension of the arrangements for the mutual exchange of information concerning seizures of drugs so as to include information regarding the activities and movements of persons known to be engaged in such illicit traffic, I have the honour, under instructions from His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to state that His Majesty's Government welcome the proposal contained in the final paragraph of your note under reference, and that instructions are being issued to the competent authorities in the British Empire and to His Majesty's Diplo"Not printed here.