_The German press in 1915 made certain incorrect allegations regarding
the Haldane Mission, whereupon on Aug. 31, 1915, the British Government
issued the following official statement:_
THE FOREIGN OFFICE ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT RESPECTING THE
ANGLO-GERMAN NEGOTIATIONS OF 1912:
An account of the 1912 Anglo-German negotiations was published in the
semi-official Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung last month. This account
was misleading, and was no doubt intended to mislead, and made it
appear that the British Government had at that time rejected what would
be regarded in many quarters as a reasonable offer of friendship from
Germany.
In these circumstances it may be as well to publish a statement of the
facts compiled from official records here. Early in 1912 the German
Chancellor sketched to Lord Haldane the following formula as one which
would meet the views of the Imperial Government:
1. The high contracting parties assure each other mutually of
their desire of peace and friendship.
2. They will not either of them make or prepare to make any
(unprovoked) attack upon the other, or join in any combination or
design against the other for purposes of aggression, or become
party to any plan or naval or military enterprise alone or in
combination with any other power directed to such an end, and
declare not to be bound by any such engagement.
3. If either of the high contracting parties become entangled
in a war with one or more powers in which it cannot be said to
be the aggressor, the other party will at least observe toward
the power so entangled a benevolent neutrality, and will use its
utmost endeavor for the localization of the conflict. If either
of the high contracting parties is forced to go to war by obvious
provocation from a third party, they bind themselves to enter into
an exchange of views concerning their attitude in such a conflict.
4. The duty of neutrality which arises out of the preceding
article has no application in so far as it may not be reconcilable
with existing agreements which the high contracting parties have
already made.
5. The making of new agreements which render it impossible for
either of the parties to observe neutrality toward the other
beyond what is provided by the preceding limitation is excluded in
conformity with the provisions in Article 2.
6. The high contracting parties declare that they will do all in
their power to prevent differences and misunderstandings arising
between either of them and other powers.