Foreign Ellice, 6th December, 1883.
My Loxp,—I have to inform your Excellency that, after sounding the German and United' States' Gover ments, Hor fajesty's Government have proposed to neutral Powers who have men-of-war on the Chi ion to concert, if war should ely break out ber tween France and China, for the protection of neutrals, Lam, &e., EARL GRANVILLE TO VISCOUNT LYONS, Foreign Ofiice, 11th Dec., 1883, My Loxo,—The French Ambassador made some observations to me this afternoon on the subject of the statement made by Lord Hartington with regard to the difference betwoon Fi ud China, an Powers, and red on the faddington tha had ap appeared in the papers wera misleading, but that the actual facts were intelligible enough. I added that your Bxcelloncy had been prop-rod to offer to M. Perr} explanations that ight have be tas Perry had had to the subject in conver and had not done s0, you hi it necessary to enter ripon the The proposal which had been which had boon received favour been that those Powers who had vessel Chinese waters should instruct their naval Commanders to concert together with view of affording protection to foreign subjects in the event of " rupture between France and China. It was unnec to say that any measures which might be adopted in such a case would be taker a friendly spirit both to France and Chi M. Waddington thanked me, and gave mme the assurances that the French Govern ment had no intention of going beyond the programme they had announced, unless forced to it by some extraordinary act on the part of China, and that hey would do their utmost to avoid any mexaures of a nature to interfere with legitimate foreign trade such as a blockade of the Treaty ports, Lam,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.