No. 160.
Mr. Denaut to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

[Translation.]

Sir: I have the honor to transmit to you herewith twenty copies of the proceedings of the sessions of the international conference for the protection of submarine cables which my Government has charged me to send to the federal Cabinet.

I am invited, at the same time, Mr. Secretary, to respectfully call your attention to the fact that the delegates of the thirty-two states which have taken part in the conference, have considered as definitive the text of the document emanating from their deliberations, not, doubtless, that it would occur to them to not recognize the right of amendment which [Page 305] belongs to their respective Governments, but in view of the safety of the interests concerned; and discussion having been closed on all points by the exhaustion of contradictory arguments, the conference has judged that it would not be able to make use of this right without retarding and even compromising the putting in execution of the protective measures which it has decided, by the study of new amendments in favor of which it would hereafter be impossible to reobtain unanimous assent.

It is in this belief that, by a resolution attached to the proceedings of the eleventh session, a delay of three months was fixed, at the expiration of which it would proceed to the signing of the projected convention.

The Government of the French Republic does not doubt that the Cabinet at Washington will be disposed to furnish, in this delay, its representative at Paris with the full necessary powers, and I will thank you to communicate to me its decision.

Accept, &c.,

H. DENAUT.