No. 151.
Mr. Roustan to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
[Translation.]
Legation of France,
Washington, September 27,
1882. (Received September 30.)
Sir: I have already had the honor of
corresponding at different times with your Department in relation to the
approaching meeting of the conference which is to take place in Paris
for the protection of submarine cables, with the assurance on the part
of my Government of its desire to see the United State represented in
this conference, in which delegates from the great European powers will
take part.
Agreeably to the desire expressed by the Assistant Secretary of State, my
Government hastened to send me a memorandum containing the concise
abstract of the questions which will probably be deliberated [Page 295] upon in the conference which
will reassemble in Paris the 16th of next October.
This memorandum is as succinct as possible, the Government of the
Republic having considered that it was not its part to fix upon the
details of the programme of the labors of the conference. It confines
itself to the proposition which it has submitted to the different
maritime states to give the interpretation of the desire expressed by
the congress of electricians in the month of September, 1881.
The conference remains free to give to its deliberations more or less
length, yet, in the opinion of the Government of the French Republic,
deliberations should be restricted to the protection of the cables in
time of peace.
The conference being called and harmony established in formulating and
sanctioning conditions in an international act, it would be expedient
that among the delegates of each state there were some who would be
furnished with full powers from their Governments.
The president of the council of ministers hopes that, after having taken
cognizance of the aforesaid memorandum which was remitted to the
Assistant Secretary of State on the 23d of this month, the Government of
the United States, in whose co-operation he attaches the highest value,
will be represented at the projected meeting.
In view of the approaching date of this meeting, I would thank you to
inform me as soon as possible of the decision which the Federal
Government has made, also the names of the delegates appointed, so that
I can transmit them by telegraph to my Government, which has so
desired.
Accept, &c.,
[Inclosure
1.—Translation.]
Mr. Roustan to
Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Legation of France,
Washington, September 23,
1882. (Received September 23.)
Communication to the honorable Secretary of State of the United
States of a memorandum containing a brief notice of the questions
which will be the object of the deliberations of the conference for
the protection of submarine cables.
The conference will meet at Paris, October 16, 1883.
The memorandum in question is as succinct as possible, the Government
of the French Republic considering that it is not in its province to
fix in a detailed manner the programme of the proceedings of the
conference, its duties being limited, in the proposition which it
has submitted to the different maritime states, to acting as the
interpreter of the desire expressed by the congress of electricians
in the month of September, 1881.
The conference is free to give to its deliberations as little or as
much extent as it sees fit; at the same time, in the opinion of the
Government of the French Republic, the deliberations should be
restricted to the protection of cables in time of peace.
The conference in question being called—if an agreement is
established—to formulate and consummate the conditions in an
international act, it is suitable that among the delegates of each
state there should be some provided with the lull powers of their
governments.
[Inclosure 2.]
memorandum.
Washington, September 22,
1882.
- 1.
- Protection of submarine cables, including: (a) Causes of destruction, (b)
Cases in which injury to cables is a punishable offense; cases
in which there may be extenuating circumstances; cases in which
owners of vessels which have sacrificed an [Page 296] anchor or a net in order not to
injure a cable may be entitled to an indemnity, (c) Determination of the officers or
agents who are to verify the damage, (d)
Designation of the competent courts, (e)
Penalties. (f) Means of execution.
- 2.
- Protection of vessels engaged in laying and taking care of
cables, including: (a) Provisions for the
avoidance of collisions at sea. (b)
Examination of the privileges which it may be possible to accord
to vessels designated to perform the work of laying cables, (c) Conditions necessary to secure the
protection of buoys designed to show the position of cables, in
case of derangement or rupture, (d) The
sanction or guarantee which it would be well to give to these
provisions.
- 3.
- Conditions of existence of the cables as regards one another,
including: (a) Examination of the rights
of the first occupant, (b) Fixing of the
conditions on which a second cable may be placed upon a first
one. (c) Obligations to be fulfilled as
regards the repairing of cables placed in juxtaposition with
each other, or one upon another.