The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol. 1, January 9, 1915: What Americans Say to EuropeVarious
Philosophy
The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol. 1, January 9, 1915: What Americans Say to Europe
Various
World War, 1914-1918
It is not known whether Sir Edward Grey was shown this evidence or not,
but if the preservation of Belgian neutrality was Great Britain's chief
concern, why did she not offer to negotiate treaties with Germany and
France as she had done in 1870? It will be remembered that then she
bound herself to join with either of the contestants in defending
Belgian neutrality against the attacks of the other.
As the case stands today, on the evidence of Sir Edward Grey's own
"White Paper" and speeches, Great Britain is making war on Germany
because:
1. She broke the Treaty of 1839, although her own Gladstone had declared
this treaty to be without force, and although the status of neutral
States had been removed by The Hague Convention from the uncertainty of
treaties to the security of international law.
2. Great Britain makes war against Germany because Germany has broken
Articles I. and II. of Chapter 1 of The Hague Convention referring to
neutrals, although Great Britain herself has refused to recognize these
articles as binding upon her own conduct.
3. She makes war on Germany although she has never denied the
correctness of Germany's assertion that she had unimpeachable proof of
France's intentions of going through Belgium, which, together with the
sojourn of French officers in Belgium, constitutes the offense which,
according to The Hague Convention, deprives a so-called neutral State of
the privileges granted in Articles I. and II.
It is impossible to say here exactly what these proofs are which Germany
possesses, and which for military reasons she has not yet been able to
divulge. She has published some of them, namely, the proof of the
continued presence of French officers on Belgian soil, and has given the
names and numbers of the several army corps which France had planned to
push through Belgium.
The case then stands as follows:
1. Was the inviolability of Belgium guaranteed by Articles I. and II. of
The Hague Convention? Yes.
2. Had Germany ratified these articles? Yes.
3. Had Great Britain ratified these articles? No.
4. Would Belgium have forfeited the right of having her country held
inviolable if she had committed "acts in favor of France," even if these
acts were not actually hostile acts? Yes, according to Article XVII. of
The Hague Convention.
5. Did Belgium commit "acts in favor of France," and was Germany,
therefore, justified in disregarding the inviolability of her territory?
The Main Question.
This is the important question, and the answer must be left to the
Supreme Court of Civilization. The weight of the evidence would seem to
point to a justification of Germany. Yet no friend of Germany can find
fault with those who would wish to defer a verdict until such a time
when Germany can present her complete proof to the world, and this may
be when the war is over.
Throughout this argument the famous passage of the Chancellor's speech
in the Reichstag has been disregarded. It reads:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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