These reserves were texually repeated by Lord Salisbury in his despatch of October 21, 1887, enclosing the draft convention which, three days later, was signed at Paris by the representatives of France and Great Britain, the two Powers which, with the assent of the rest, had been carrying on the resumed negotiations with reference to the canal.

Lord Salisbury's language was also carefully brought to the notice of each of the other Powers concerned; in the course of the somewhat protracted discussions which preceded the final signature of the same convention at Constantinople on October 29, 1888.
2.

All the signatories of the convention having thus become parties to it after express notice of "the conditions under which her Majesty's Government have expressed their willingness to agree to it," must, it can hardly be doubted, share the view that the convention is operative only _sub modo_.
3.

Supposing the convention to have become operative, and supposing the territorial Power to be neutral in a war between States which we may call A and B, the convention would certainly entitle A to claim unmolested passage for its ships of war on their way to attack the forces of B in the Eastern seas.
4.

The language of the convention, being as it, is the expression of a compromise involving much re-drafting, is by no means always as clear as it might be.