File No. 774/411. Minister King to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Bangkok, November 23, 1908. Siamese Government entirely indorse the Government of the United States's sympathy with Chinese Government in bereavement. Would not object postponement Opium International Conference to 1st next February. File No. 774/414. KING. Ambassador Riddle to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, St. Petersburg, November 26, 1908. Postponement of International Opium Commission to February 1 is entirely acceptable to the Russian Government. File No. 774/416. Minister Beaupré to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] RIDDLE. AMERICAN LEGATION, The Hague, November 27, 1908. The Government of the Netherlands agrees to the postponement to February 1 of International Opium Conference, but desires to be informed when new date is fixed. File No. 774/415. Ambassador O'Brien to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] BEAUPRÉ. AMERICAN EMBASSY, Tokyo, November 27, 1908. Your telegram of the 20th. There is no objection on the part of the Government of Japan to the proposed postponement. O'BRIEN. File No. 774/406. The Acting Secretary of State to Ambassador Leishman. No. 447.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 27, 1908. SIR: The department acknowledges the receipt of your telegram of the 19th instant, in which the department is informed that you have been advised by the Sublime Porte that since the Ottoman Government has no representative in China it has found it impossible to be represented on the International Opium Commission. You will inform the foreign office that the department regrets that the conference has lost the benefit of Turkish participation, and express the hope that although unable to share in the proposed deliberations the Sublime Porte will sympathetically consider measures which may be adopted by the international commission for the general suppression of the opium evil. I am, etc., File No. 774/417. ROBERT BACON. Ambassador Hill to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Berlin, November 28, 1908. German Government agrees to postponement of the opium conference to February 1 next. Herr Roessler, consul at Canton and first German commissioner, has been given rank and character of consul general for the period of the conference. File No. 774/426. HILL. Ambassador White to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, French Government have no objection to the substitution of the date of February 1 to January 1 for the meeting of the opium commission at Shanghai. File No. 774/407. WHITE. The Acting Secretary of State to Ambassador Reid.1 [Telegram.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 1, 1908. Referring to department's telegram 20th, you will inform foreign office majority powers participating opium conference have agreed deference to China's wishes to postpone meeting until February 1. Also state that this Government would appreciate early reply of Government to which you are accredited. File No. 774/516-517. No. 514.] ADEE. Ambassador O'Brien to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN EMBASSY, Tokio, December 2, 1908. SIR: In reference to this embassy's telegram of August 10, 1908, and to its dispatch No. 406, of August 23 last,2 respectively transmitting the names of the Japanese members of the joint opium commis Repeated to Persia. 76851°. -F B 19088 Not printed. sion, I now have the honor to inform you that I am in receipt of a communication from the foreign office stating that— These commissioners have since been engaged in, and completed to a large extent, the investigation of the opium question in Japan on lines generally similar to the items of investigation by the United States commissioners, and requesting that I communicate the above fact to my Government. I have, ctc., T. J. O'BRIEN. [Inclosure. Translation.] The Minister for Foreign Affairs to Ambassador O'Brien. DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MONSIEUR LE MINISTRE: In reference to Mr. Jay's note of the 23d of July last relative to the names and rank of the commissioners of the Imperial Government to the international commission for the investigation of the opium trade and habit in the Far East, as well as the scope and method of treatment of the investigation to be made before the meeting at Shanghai, I had the honor to inform him of the names and rank of the Japanese commissioners on the 10th of August last when the appointment was made. These commissioners have since been engaged in, and completed to a large extent, the investigation of the opium question in Japan on lines generally similar to the items of investigation by the United States commissioners, as communicated by Mr. Jay's note of the 14th July last. I have, therefore, the honor to request that your excellency will be good enough to communicate the above to the Government of the United States. Number 334. December 2, 4 p. m. With reference to Department's cable 2nd instant re Opium Conference. British Government approves postponement. Delay caused by the Foreign Office awaiting official assent of other Departments. REID. File No. 774/429. The Secretary of State to Ambassador Reid.1 [Telegram-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 3, 1908. (Mr. Root instructs Mr. Reid to inform the British Government that since the Powers participating in the coming Opiun Conference at Shanghai, in deference to China's wishes, have consented to postpone the meeting, that body will convene February first instead of January first, 1909. Asks Mr. Reid to express to the Foreign Office appreciation and gratification at the concurrence in the Chinese suggestion.) 1 Mutatis mutandis to Berlin, St. Petersburg, Paris, Tokyo, The Hague, Lisbon, Peking, Bangkok, and Teheran, File No. 774/438-439. No. 34.] The Acting Secretary of State to Chargé de Billier. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 8, 1908. SIR: The department acknowledges the receipt of your unnumbered dispatch of the 11th ultimo, with which was inclosed a copy of the Persian Government's acceptance of the invitation of this Government to send delegates to the joint commission on the opium question at Shanghai. You are instructed to express anew to the foreign office the gratification of this Government that Persia will participate in a conference which, it is hoped, will be instrumental in contributing toward the suppression of the opium evil. I am, etc., File No. 774/513-514. No. 468.] ALVEY A. ADEE. Chargé Lorillard to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN LEGATION, Lisbon, December 19, 1908. SIR: Referring to previous correspondence relative to the International Opium Conference, which is to meet at Shanghai on February 1, 1909, I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy and a translation of a note from the foreign office, dated the 16th instant, informing me that the Portuguese Government has appointed its consul general at Shanghai, Mr. Oscar George Potier, as its delegate to the conference, and that he will be assisted by the deputy delegate, Mr. Carlos Assumpção. I have, etc., GEORGE LORILLARD. [Inclosure.-Translation.] The Minister for Foreign Affairs to Chargé Lorillard. FOREIGN OFFICE, Lisbon, December 16, 1908. Concerning the subject of your legation's note of the 12th instant, I have the honor to inform you that His Majesty's Government has appointed to represent it on the international commission which, on February 1, 1909, is to meet at Shanghai to investigate and propose means to restrict the consumption of opium in the Far East, the consul general of Portugal in that city, Oscar George Potier, who, in the functions of this duty, will be assisted by a deputy delegate, Carlos Assumpção, the chief clerk of the district attorney's office of Macau. I avail, etc., SIR: Referring to my recent dispatches, Nos. 1191 and 1241, I have now the honor to report the receipt of a notification from the Persian minister of foreign affairs to the effect that Hadji Mirza 1 Not printed. Djafar, the manager of the firm of Rezaioff at Shanghai, has been appointed "commercial representative" of Persia for the International Opium Commission, which is to meet on February 1. This gentleman has been notified of his appointment by telegraph, and has been requested to attend the opening meeting of the commission. The necessary instructions have been sent by post, so that he may be able to take an intelligent part in the business of the commission and report results to the Persian Government, which, after full consideration, will give such effect to them as it may consider desirable. I have been requested to communicate this information to you in order that there may be no difficulty about the acceptance of Persia's representative in the event (which is probable) of his credentials failing to arrive before the sessions begin. As it is probable that this dispatch will reach Washington before the end of January, I have not thought it necessary to telegraph. I have, etc., JOHN B. JACKSON. DEATH OF THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS DOWAGER OF CHINA, AND THE SUCCESSION OF EMPEROR PU-YI TO THE THRONE. File No. 14911/5. Minister Rockhill to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Peking, November 15, 1908. (Mr. Rockhill reports that he has been informed by the Foreign Office of the death of the Emperor at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, and that an edict has been issued by the Empress Dowager announcing the accession of Pu-yi to the throne and assumption of the regency by Prince Ch'un. Mr. Rockhill says perfect order reigns.) File No. 14911/6. No. 12.] The Chinese Minister to the Secretary of State. IMPERIAL CHINESE LEGATION, SIR: It is my very sad duty to announce to you the demise of His Imperial Majesty Kuanghsu, the Emperor of China, which occurred in Peking at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon (November 14). Accept, etc., File No. 1518/176. WU TING FANG. No. 13.] The Chinese Minister to the Secretary of State. IMPERIAL CHINESE LEGATION, Washington, November 15, 1908. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that by an Imperial edict, issued by Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Dowager, P'u-yi, the eldest son of His Imperial Highness Prince Ch'un, has been appointed on the demise of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor Kuanghsu, to |