The French Note of an acknowledge s in the nature ut of the other two, It states that the "French Government have taken note of the reasons which have led the British and United States Governments to come fo this grave decision.
"Being anxious to limit, as for as possible, the extent and eventual consequences of this first derogation from the Treaty, it desires that an agreement may be reached at an early date, by all the Powers who, up to the present, heve conformed as regards their construction with ihe limits at present in force.
"Without awaiting the opening of the consultations required for securing this result, the French Government desire to state that, in spite of the derogations to which the British and American Governments will have recourse, it will continue, as far as it is concerned, to maintain for its naval construction the qualitative limits fixed by the London Treaty so long as mo other continental or European Power on its side departs therefrom."
The delivery of these Notes constitutes a recognized stage in the procedure under the Treaty in case of escalation, and the next step will be for the' Governments to give effect to Paragraph 3 of Article 25 of the Treaty which reads.
"The high contracting parties shall thereupon consult together and endeavour to reach an agreement with w to reducing to a minimum the of the departures which may be made."—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.