Mr. Goschen to Mr. Gresham.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you, with reference to my conversation with Mr. Uhl, that I have received a dispatch from the Earl of Kimberley to the effect that, owing to the fact that all the maritime powers have not as yet given their adhesion to the new regulations for the prevention of collisions at sea, it has been found to be impossible that they should be put into effect on the date originally suggested by Her Majesty’s Government and specified in the President’s proclamation of July last.
His Lordship also considers postponement of the date in question inevitable, owing to the fact that it is generally held that nine months should elapse between the promulgation of the regulations and their enforcement.
The Earl of Kimberley desires me, in calling your attention to the above consideration, to ask whether the United States Government are prepared for the unavoidable postponement of the date upon which it was hoped that the regulations in question would go into effect.
I have, etc.,