The Third International Opium Conference, convoked by the Government of the Netherlands in accordance with the third resolution of the Second Conference, met at The Hague, in the Hall of the Knights, on the 15th of June, 1914.

The Governments hereinafter enumerated participated in the conference, for which they had appointed the following delegates: Germany: His Excellency M. Felix von Müller, privy counsellor, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at The Hague, delegate.

United States of America: His Excellency Mr. Henry van Dyke, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at The Hague, delegate; Mr. Charles Denby, consul general at Vienna, delegate. Argentine Republic: Dr. François de Veyga, honorary professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Buenos Aires, inspector general of the sanitary service of the Argentine Army (S. R.), delegate.

Belgium: His Excellency Baron Albéric Fallon, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at The Hague, delegate.

United States of Brazil: His excellency M. José Pereira da Graça Aranha, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at The Hague, delegate.

Chile: His Excellency M. Jorje Hunneeus, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Brussels and at The Hague, delegate. China: His excellency M. Yen Hui-Ch'ing, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Berlin, delegate; his Excellency M. Tang Tsai-fou, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at The Hague, delegate.

Denmark: M. J. G. de Grevenkop Castenskjold, minister resident at Brussels and at The Hague, delegate.

Dominican Republic: His Excellency Dr. José Lamarche, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, delegate.

Ecuador: M. Miguel A. Seminaro, chargé d'affaires at Brussels, delegate.

Spain: His Excellency D. Fernando Osorio y Elola, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at The Hague, delegate. France: His Excellency M. Marcellin Pellet, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at The Hague, delegate.

Great Britain: Mr. William Grenfell Max Müller, C. B., M. V. O., counsellor of embassy, consul general at Budapest, delegate; Sir William J. Collins, K. C. V. O., M. D., F. R. C. S., former chairman of the London County Council, delegate.

Guatemala: M. José Maria Lardizabal chargé d'affaires at Paris and The Hague, delegate.

Haiti: M. Stenio Vincent, chargé d'affaires at The Hague, delegate. Italy: His Excellency Count Joseph Sallier de la Tour, Duke of Calvello, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at The Hague, delegate.

Japan: His Excellency M. Aimaro Sato, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at The Hague, delegate.

Luxemburg: His Excellency Baron Albéric Fallon, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Brussels and at The Hague, delegate.

United States of Mexico: His Excellency M. Carlos Pereya, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Brussels and The Hague, delegate.

Montenegro: M. H. Mendes da Costa, consul general at Amsterdam, delegate.

The Netherlands: M. J. T. Cremer, former minister of the colonies, former president of the Netherlands Society of Commerce, member of the First Chamber of the States General, first delegate; Dr. C. Th. van Deventer, member of the Second Chamber of the States General, delegate; M. A. A. de Jongh, former inspector general, head of the opium monopoly in the Dutch Indies, burgomaster of Hoorn, delegate.

Persia Mirza Mahmoud Kahn. chargé d'affaires at The Hague, delegate.

Portugal: His Excellency M. Antonio Maria Bartholomeu Ferreira, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at The Hague, delegate; Maj. A. A. Sanches de Miranda, a former colonial governor, delegate of the ministry of the colonies.

Rumania: His Excellency M. Charles M. Mitilineu, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at The Hague, delegate. Russia: His Excellency M. A. Swétchine, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at The Hague, delegate.

Siam: His Excellency Phya Sudham Maitri, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at London and The Hague, delegate; Mr. William J. Archer, counselor of legation at London and The Hague, delegate.

Sweden: His Excellency M. C. F. de Klercker, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Brussels and The Hague, delegate.

Switzerland: His Excellency M. G. Carlin, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at London and The Hague, delegate. Uruguay: His Excellency M. Alberto Guani, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Brussels and The Hague, delegate. The United States of Venezuela: Dr. Esteban Gil Borges, first secretary of legation at Paris, delegate.

At a series of meetings held from the 15th to the 25th June, 1914, the conference having examined the question submitted to it under the third resolution passed by the second conference

(A) has placed on record the following opinions:

1. That it is possible to bring into force the international opium convention of the 23d January, 1912, notwithstanding the fact that some of the powers invited, in pursuance of paragraph 1 of article 23, have not yet signed the convention.

2. That the convention shall come into force between all the signatory powers as soon as the powers which have already signed, and those which have expressed their intention to adhere to it, have ratified it. The date of the coming into force of the convention shall be that fixed by paragraph 1 of article 24.

3. That, if by a date to be determined by the conference all the signatory powers have not yet deposited their ratifications, it shall be permissible for the signatory powers whose ratifications have been deposited by that date, to bring the convention into force. The same power shall obtain for the signatory powers which may successively deposit their ratifications after that date.

4. That the date indicated in 3 shall be the 31st of December, 1914.1

5. That the power of acceding to the convention do remain open to the powers which have not yet signed.

(B) has decided:

That a protocol by which the signatory powers desirous of availing themselves of the power mentioned in 3 shall be able to declare their intention of putting the convention in force shall be opened at The Hague.

His Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, in accordance with the unanimous wish of the conference, has consented to draw up this protocol, which will remain open for signature.

(C) has unanimously carried the following resolution:

The conference invites his Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands to make, in the name of the conference, an urgent and respectful representation to the signatory powers which have not yet ratified the convention nor expressed their intention of doing so, with a view to induce them to declare their readiness shortly to deposit their ratifications, in order that the convention may come into force as soon as possible.

In witness whereof the delegates have attached their signatures to this protocol.

Done at The Hague the 25th June, 1914. in one instrument, which shall be deposited in the archives of the Government of the Nether

lands, and copies of which duly certified shall be forwarded through diplomatic channels to all the signatory and the nonsignatory powers.

For Germany:

F. DE MÜLLER,

(With reference to his votes on June 18, 1914.)

For the United States of America:

1 Communications having been interrupted as the result of the war, it has no longer been possible to obtain this signature, which could not be affixed on the date of the closing of the conference.

WHANGPU CONSERVANCY AGREEMENT (WITH SUPPLEMENTARY ARTICLE OF 1915, REGULATING THE REGISTRATION AND SALE OF CROWN OR SHENGKO LANDS ON THE WHANGPU RIVER).2

Signed at Peking April 9, 1912.

1. The Whangpu Conservancy Board of Administration, to be known shortly as the conservancy board, shall consist of the Shanghai taotai, the Shanghai customs commissioner, and the coast inspector.3

2. The authority with which the conservancy board is invested is delegated to it by the Chinese Government; and consequently the board is in no way subordinate to the provincial authorities. The several members of the board have, as such, equal authority, and the opinion of the majortity is to be determinative.

3. The board shall have entire charge of the finances connected with conservancy matters. In this connection:

1 Communications having been interrupted as the result of the war, it has no longer been possible to obtain this signature, which could not be affixed on the date of the closing of the conference.

Text as embodied in circular of the diplomatic body at Peking, No. 88, September 13 1915; reprinted from John V. A. MacMurray's Treaties and Agreements with and Concerning China, 1894-1919," p. 954. Treaties, Conventions, etc., between China and Foreign States," supplementary volume, The text as printed in English and Chinese in P. 69, a work issued by the maritime customs of China, is described as a provisional agreement, further defined as a scheme " of Commerce, adopted by the ministers of the treaty powers at Peking, and agreed to submitted by the Shanghai General Chamber with embodied amendments by the Chinese Government through the prime minister on the 4th April, 1912." ending the World War as the effective one. The text of the latter date is referred to in the treaties of peace document described as amended by the Chinese Government could not have become Nevertheless, the fact seems to be that the effective until those amendments were accepted by the party of the other part; that is, the diplomatic body. Its consent to the agreement was given at a meeting on April 9, 1912, which date is therefore that of the agreement as in force.

Where the text of April 4, 1912, differs from that of April 9 the discrepancies have been recorded in a series of footnotes. In connection with the agreement, see the arrangement for the Whangpu Conservancy, September 27, 1905, Vol. II, p. 2013.

Text of April 4 reads:

Shanghai commissioner of customs, and the harbor master." "The commissioner for trade and foreign affairs, the