511.4A6/353: Telegram

The Chairman of the American Delegation (Caldwell) to the Secretary of State

21. During the past week unsuccessful efforts were made in the Limitation Committee and in private conversations to produce a compromise draft from the Japanese, French and British drafts. Friday Limitation Committee adopted the Japanese-French amendments as the basis of discussion by a vote of 14 to 2 with 6 abstentions. The 2 negative votes were Great Britain and the Soviet Union, the latter explaining his vote on the ground that nothing short of limitation of production of raw material would effect limitation of manufacture. Yesterday full Conference confirmed this by a vote of 27 to 3 with 6 abstentions, negative votes being Great Britain, Soviet Union and Denmark. I voted in the affirmative and gave reasons as outlined herewith.

(1)
We did not come with complete plan in opposition to quota plan but hoped to effect necessary alterations in it.
(2)
When it became evident that it was not possible to arrange quotas we gave our approval to the Japanese-French proposals as the basis of discussion since they were in accordance with our ideas. Drafting will now proceed on the basis of the Japanese-French proposal, our draft and as much of the quota plan as can be used.

American proposals regarding raw materials entering factories were discussed during past week; as agreement could not be reached at that time I requested that discussion be deferred until Conference has before it the Japanese-French proposal in amended form; in the meantime am endeavoring in private conference to reach an agreement and avoid a division on this question.

The Technical Committee after much discussion voted 9 to 9 against the Austrian proposal to abolish heroin manufacture but approved Polish amendment as amended by another Austrian amendment to prohibit heroin exports except to government agencies; the technical experts strongly advocated abolition of heroin manufacture and made very strong and interesting reports partly in writing and partly on the floor of the Committee.

Caldwell