for the British Ambassador, and
made the following significant offer:

[67]I was asked to call upon the Chancellor to-night. His
Excellency had just returned from Potsdam.

[Footnote 67: Sir E. Goschen.]

He said that should Austria be attacked by Russia a European
conflagration might, he feared, become inevitable, owing to
Germany's obligations as Austria's ally, in spite of his
continued efforts to maintain peace. He then proceeded to
make the following strong bid for British neutrality. He
said that it was clear, so far as he was able to judge the
main principle which governed British policy, that Great
Britain would never stand by and allow France to be crushed
in any conflict there might be. _That, however, was not the
object at which Germany aimed._ Provided that neutrality of
Great Britain were certain, every assurance would be given
to the British Government that the Imperial Government aimed
at no territorial acquisitions at the expense of France,
should they prove victorious in any war that might ensue.

I questioned his Excellency about the French colonies, and
he said that he was unable to give a similar undertaking in
that respect. As regards Holland, however, his Excellency
said that, so long as Germany's adversaries respected the
integrity and neutrality of the Netherlands, Germany was
ready to give his Majesty's Government an assurance that she
would do likewise. It depended upon the action of France
what operations Germany might be forced to enter upon in
Belgium, but when the war was over Belgian integrity would
be respected if she had not sided against Germany.

His Excellency ended by saying that ever since he had been
Chancellor the object of his policy had been, as you were
aware, to bring about an understanding with England; he
trusted that these assurances might form the basis of that
understanding which he so much desired. He had in mind a
general neutrality agreement between England and Germany,
though it was, of course, at the present moment too early to
discuss details, and an assurance of British neutrality in
the conflict which the present crisis might possibly
produce, would enable him to look forward to a realization
of his desire.

In reply to his Excellency's inquiry how I thought his