511.4R1/76: Telegram
The American Observer at Bangkok ( Caldwell ) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 26—7:52 a.m.]
Signature of agreement supplementary to Geneva agreement and of Final Act and formal closing Conference will take place tomorrow.38 Agreement and resolutions attached to Final Act are of little importance. Final Act states that Conference has concluded that no radical measures for the suppression of opium smoking practicable as long as production of opium and illicit traffic continues on enormous scale.
But little accomplished in regard to cooperation. There was little reference to Philippine Islands. Discussion concerned mainly Commission recommendations and we as observers had small chance of participating, particularly since in addition to involving Geneva Agreement even those proposals which gave merit were of such small importance that our advocacy of them would have weakened our position in regard to much more radical measures.
Expect to sail Coolidge 8th or Madison 13th from Hong Kong.
- Texts of agreement and Final Act are printed in League of Nations, Conference on the Suppression of Opium-Smoking, etc.: Agreement and Final Act (C.70.M.36.1932.XI, Geneva, January 27, 1932). Text of agreement is also printed in League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. clxxvii, p. 373. The agreement became effective April 22, 1937.↩