Earl Granville to Sir H.S. Parkes.

(No. 42. Ext. 3)
Foreign Office, April 22, 1883

Sir,

YOU will receive with my despatch No. 41, Confidential, of the 20th instant a copy of a despatch from Her Majesty’s Ambassador at Berlin, inclosing a note addressed to his Excellency by price Bismark, in which his highness communicated the views of the Imperial Government as to the stops which should be taken by Germany and by this country in regard to the Treaties negotiated last summer with Corea.
In my reply to Lord Ampthill, of which a copy has also been forwarded to you, his Excellency was instructed to ascertain whether the German Government would be prepared to adopt the same course as was proposed by Her Majesty’s Government, and whether they would wish that Mr. Consul Aston, who is now on the spot, should make any communication on their part to the Government of Corea.
Having since ascertained that the German Government entirely concur in the proposals made to them by Her Majesty’s Government in regard to Corea, I have telegraphed this day to inform you that it has been agreed between the two Governments that the ratifications of their respective Treaties with Corea shall be postponed for six months, on the ground that further consideration is required in respect of certain portions of them.
I have at the same time requested that you will place yourself in communication with your German colleague, who will receive instructions from his Government on the subject.
You will direct Mr. Aston to notify to the Corean Government the desire of both Government to postpone the ratification of the Treaties, and, if desirable, to sign declarations of such postponement.
He should also sound that Government as to whether they would be ready to place Great Britain and Germany on the same footing as China, or whether they would reopen negotiations in order to assimilate the new Treaties to those which are now in force and by which the relations of these countries are regulated with China and Japan.

I am, &c.
(Signed) GRANVILLE