Conversation with M. Waddington in regard to above note, which his Excellency thinks likely to furnish basis for an Agreement Wish of Italian Government to be a party to Suez Canal Agreement .. Definition of region of Canal. Suggests new wording of Article IX to meet views expressed by Her Majesty's Government Forwards copy of above, together with a draft of Convention communicated to Count d'Aubigny M. Waddington cannot accept draft Convention in above in its present form. His Excellency will prepare another Review of negotiations since 1885. Forwards new draft Convention following plan of draft discussed at Paris Conference 39 : : 35 21, 21, 23, Interpretation of word "troupes" in Article V. To call attention of M. Flourens to M. Flourens shares opinion of Her Majesty's Government with regard to interpretation of "troupes " in Article V Has given M. Flourens copy of No. 38 and draft Convention 43 43 43 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, M. Flourens inquires how Agreement arrived at should be communicated to Powers Thinks French Government should invite Powers to agree to Convention as amended M. Flourens will act on above suggestion, but will be glad if Her Majesty's Government will inform Powers also of their concurrence M. Flourens understands that British Representatives will support the common proposals. As to communication to Spain and Holland Count Bismarck asks how Anglo-French Agreement 43 44 44 44 Correspondence respecting the proposed International Convention for securing the Free Navigation of the Suez Canal. No. 1. The Marquis of Salisbury to Viscount Lyons. My Lord, Foreign Office, November 12, 1885. THE French Ambassador called upon me to-day, and spoke to me about the Suez Canal Commission. The sittings of the Commission, his Excellency said, had terminated in the summer, and the records of them had been duly forwarded to the various Governments; but since that time no action had been taken. The French Government was anxious to know whether it would be convenient to the Powers to resume the subject again at the present moment, and wished to consult us in the first instance. A general agreement upon many points had been arrived at; but there were some on which a difference of opinion still remained, and which would have to be discussed. I replied that the present moment was not a very convenient one for the discussion; both Governments were much occupied, and the Turkish Government itself was so engrossed by the existing troubles in Eastern Roumelia, that it was incapable of giving much attention to another subject. I had not yet had an opportunity of studying the papers which referred to matters that had taken place before my accession to office; but I thought the whole question might conveniently be deferred for three or four weeks. To this suggestion M. Waddington assented. No. 2. I am, &c? (Signed) SALISBURY. Sir, The Marquis of Salisbury to Sir J. Walsham. Foreign Office, January 13, 1886. THE French Ambassador called at this Office on the 6th instant, and made the following communication: The French Government, his Excellency said, had consulted the other Powers as to the resumption of negotiations on the subject of the Suez Canal, with the result that those Powers had expressed their readiness to concur in any solution of the questions left in suspense at the time of the sittings of the late Conference in Paris which might be acceptable both to Great Britain and to France. M. de Freycinet therefore thought that the most convenient course would be for him to propose to Her Majesty's Government, in the first instance unofficially, the draft of an Article on the points in dispute, in the hope of arriving at an agreement, and M. Waddington was instructed to inquire whether that mode of proceeding would be agreeable to me. I have informed M. Waddington, in reply, that if the negotiations are to be resumed, the mode of procedure indicated would be perfectly agreeable to me. I stated, however, that Her Majesty's Government consider that the present moment is inopportune for the discussion, and I urged that the consideration of the [550] B question should be deferred, especially as there is no reason to believe that its postponement will conflict with the wishes of other Powers. I am, &c. (Signed) SALISBURY. No. 3. The Earl of Rosebery to Viscount Lyons. My Lord, I said that I did not think the moment altogether propitious; that in any case I must consult my colleagues on the question, and I should be glad if he would send me some formal proposal to lay before them. This his Excellency promised to do. No. 4. M. le Comte, M. Waddington to the Earl of Rosebery.-(Received February 23.) Londres, le 22 Février, 1886. LA Commission Internationale pour la réglementation du régime du Canal de Suez qui a siégé à Paris dans le cours de l'année dernière, grâce à l'esprit de conciliation dont les Représentants des Puissances ont fait preuve, a pu tomber d'accord sur un projet de Traité dont un petit nombre de points seulement ont dû être réservés. La principale divergence avait porté sur la question de surveillance pour assurer l'exécution du Traité, mais graduellement, aux cours des délibérations, la distance qui séparait les différents Délégués a diminué et votre Excellence pourra se convaincre, en comparant le texte approuvé par la majorité, avec l'amendement de la GrandeBretagne appuyé par l'Italie, qu'il suffirait de quelques concessions portant plus sur la forme que sur le fond des choses pour que l'accord fût complet. Quelques autres dispositions, il est vrai, n'ont pu réunir l'unanimité, mais votre Excellence estimera sans doute que ces points, relativement secondaires, ne sauraient faire obstacle à un arrangement définitif, si l'entente s'établissait sur l'Article IX. Dans cette pensée, mon Gouvernement a consulté officieusement divers Cabinets sur le mode qu'il conviendrait d'adopter pour arriver à un accord sur les différents points restés en suspens. L'opinion dominante a été que la France et l'Angleterre, comme étant les Puissances les plus intéressées, devraient arrêter tout d'abord les termes d'une formule. Il y a, en effet, tout lieu de croire que cette formule une fois arrêtée entre elles, serait adoptée sans grande modification par les autres États représentés à la Conférence tenue à Paris le printemps dernier. Lord Salisbury, à qui, sur les instructions de M. de Freycinet, j'avais fait au commencement de l'année des ouvertures dans ce sens, s'était rallié en principe à ce mode de procéder. Votre Excellence ne verra, elle aussi, j'en suis convaincu, que des avantages à chercher par la voie de pourparlers directs avec le Cabinet de Paris, une formule pour régler définitivement le régime international du Canal de Suez. M. de Freycinet se plaît à penser que le Gouvernement de la Reine se prêtera sans nouveaux délais à ouvrir ces pourparlers sur une question d'un si grand intérêt pour toutes les Puissances, et dont la solution ne semble plus difficile à atteindre désormais. Je serai reconnaissant à votre Excellence de vouloir bien me faire connaître le plus tôt possible la résolution du Gouvernement de la Reine à ce sujet. Veuillez, &c. (Signé) (Translation.) WADDINGTON. My Lord, London, February 22, 1886. THE International Commission for establishing a definitive system for the Suez anal, which met at Paris in the course of last year, succeeded, thanks to the con ciliatory spirit shown by the Representatives of the Powers, in agreeing upon a draft Treaty, only a few points of which were left undecided. The principal divergence of opinion was in reference to the question of superintendence to insure the execution of the Treaty; but, in the course of the deliberations, the difference between the views of the different Delegates was gradually diminished, and your Excellency can see, by comparing the text approved by the majority with the British amendment supported by Italy, that only some concessions of a formal rather than of a material character are required to make the consensus complete. It is true that some other provisions have failed to obtain unanimous assent, but your Excellency will, no doubt, consider that these points, which are, relatively speaking, of secondary importance, cannot form an obstacle to a definitive arrangement, if an understanding were come to on Article IX. With this view, my Government consulted some of the Cabinets, semi-officially, on the best way of arriving at an agreement upon the different points which remained unsettled. The prevailing opinion was that France and England, as being the Powers. chiefly interested, should, in the first instance, decide upon the terms of a formula. There is, in fact, every reason to believe that, when once this formula has been settled between them, it will be adopted without any great alteration by the other States represented at the Conference held in Paris last spring. Lord Salisbury to whom, under instructions from M. de Freycinet, I had made overtures in this sense at the beginning of the year, had concurred in principle in this course of action. Your Excellency will likewise, I am sure, see all the advantages of trying, by means of direct negotiations with the Cabinet of Paris, to find a formula to settle once for all the international control over the Suez Canal. M. de Freycinet feels sure that Her Majesty's Government will be ready, without further delay, to open these negotiations on a question of so much interest to all the Powers, the solution of which now no longer seems difficult to attain. I should be much obliged if your Excellency wonld be kind enough to let me know, as soon as possible, the decision of Her Majesty's Government on this subject. I have, &c. (Signed) WADDINGTON. No. 5. The Earl of Rosebery to M. Waddington. M. l'Ambassadeur, Foreign Office, March 10, 1886. HER Majesty's Government have given their best consideration to the note which your Excellency did me the honour to address to me on the 22nd ultimo, proposing that the two Governments should resume the discussion of the international arrangements for the free navigation of the Suez Canal, with the view of agreeing on the terms of a draft Convention, which could then be communicated to the other Powers for their acceptance. I need hardly assure your Excellency of the earnest desire of Her Majesty's Government to be in harmony with that of France on this important question, and they would be very willing to give their attention to the means of reconciling the differences of opinion to which the discussions of the Paris Commission gave rise if it could be done in such a manner as to secure the unanimity of the Governments concerned; but there are various considerations which seem to them to point to the conclusion that the present time would not be a favourable one for the resumption of negotiations on the subject, and they would therefore prefer that the consideration of the matter should be postponed. I have, &c. (Signed) ROSEBERY. No. 6. My Lord, Viscount Lyons to the Earl of Rosebery.-(Received March 11.) Paris, March 10, 1886. M. DE FREYCINET took this afternoon an opportunity of saying to me that he was anxious that Her Majesty's Government should be reminded of the overtures B 2 [550] |