Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-01
.CERMANY'S CONVENTIONS
UNFAIR TO GREAT BRITAIN
Foreign Office in London Gives Out
Statement Concerning Nego--
tiations in 1912.
oNE.sIDED IN OPERATIONS
Results of Certain Proposals Would
Have Left Kaiser Free to Support
His Friends, but Cut OF England
From Helping Any Nation.

LONDON. August S1.-The British
Foreign Office tonight issued this
statement concerning tho negotiations
between Great Britain and Germany
in 1912:
An account of the 1912 Anglo Ger
man negotiations was published i'm the
s"'nioflicial Norddeutsche Allgemeine
zeitung last month. This account was
misleading. and no doubt was intended
to mislead. 1t made 1t appear that the
British government had at that time
rejected what would be regarded in
many quarters as reasonable offer
of friendship from Germany. In these
circumstances it may be as well to pub
lish statement of facts compiled from
the official records here.
EARLY in 1912 the German Chancellor
sketched to Lord Haldane (then Brit
ish Lord High Chancellor) the follow
ing formula as one which would meet
the views of the imperial governments
First. The high contracting parties
assure each other mutually of their
desire for peace and friendship.
Second. 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 the purposes of
aggression. or become party to any
plan of naval or military enterprise
alone or in combination with any other
power, directed to such an end. and
declare themselves not to he bound by
any such engagement
Third. If either OF the high con-
tracing parties becomes entangled in
war win one or more powers, in which
it cannot be said 20 be tho aggressor
the other party will at least observe
toward the power 30 entangled bene-
VIOLENT neutrality, and will use it's
utmost endeavor for the localization Of
the conflict. If either of the high con-
tracing parties are forced to go to
war by obvious provocation by "A third
party, they bind themselves to enter
into an exchange of views concerning
their attitude on such a conflict.
Fourth. The duty of neutrality
which arises out of the preceding
article has no application. in so far as
1T may not he reconcilablc with exist
ing agreements which the high con-
tracing parties already have made
Fifth. The making of new agree
ments which render it impossible for
either Of the parties to observe neu-
trality toward the other beyond what
is excluded in conformity with the pro-
visions Of article ..
Sixth. The high contracting parties
declare they will do all in their power
to prevent differences and misunder-
standings arising between them and
other powers"
CONDITIONS GROSSLY
oNE-sIDED IN OPERATION
These conditions, although in APP
pearance fair, as between the parties.
would have been grossly unfair and
ne-sided In their operation. Owing to
the general position of the European
powers and the treaty engagements by
which they were bound, the result OF
articles and would have been that
while Germany, in case of a European
conflict, would have remained free to
support her friends, this country would
have been forbidden To raise n finger
III defense of hers
Germany could arrange without diff
fculty that the formal inception of
hostiiities should rest with Austria. If
Austria and Russia were at war, Ger
many would support Austria. AZ is evil
dent from what occurred at the end of