GERMANY AND BELGIUM.
Further Statement by Sir Edward Grey in House of Commons, Aug. 3, 1914.
I want to give the House some information which I have received, and which was not in my possession when I made my statement this afternoon.
It is information I have received from the Belgian Legation in London, and is to the following effect:
Germany sent yesterday evening at 7 o"clock a note proposing to Belgium friendly neutrality, covering free pa.s.sage on Belgian territory, and promising maintenance of independence of the kingdom and possession at the conclusion of peace, and threatening, in case of refusal, to treat Belgium as an enemy. A time limit of twelve hours was fixed for the reply. The Belgians have answered that an attack on their neutrality would be a flagrant violation of the rights of nations, and that to accept the German proposal would be to sacrifice the honor of a nation. Conscious of its duty, Belgium is firmly resolved to repel aggression by all possible means.
Of course, I can only say that the Government are prepared to take into grave consideration the information which they have received. I make no further comment upon it.
UNHESITATING SUPPORT.
Statement by Bonar Law, Opposition Leader, in House of Commons, Aug.
3.
The right honorable gentleman has made an appeal for support and it is necessary that I should say a word or two, but they shall be very few. I wish to say in the first place that I do not believe there is a single member in this House who doubts that not only the right honorable gentleman himself, but the Government which he represents, have done everything in their power up to the last moment to preserve peace.
[Cheers.] And I think we may be sure that if any other course is taken it is because it is forced upon them and that they have absolutely no alternative. [Cheers.] One thing only further I should like to say. The right honorable gentleman spoke of the bright spot in the picture which only a day or two ago was a black spot in the political horizon.
Everything that he has said I am sure is true and I should like to say this further--that if the contingencies which he has not put into words, but which are in all our minds as possible, arise, then we have already had indications that there is another bright spot--that every one of his Majesty"s dominions beyond the seas will be behind us in whatever act it is necessary to take. [Cheers.] This only I should add. The Government already know, but I give them now the a.s.surance on behalf of the party of which I am leader in this House, that in whatever steps they think it necessary to take for the honor and security of this country they can rely upon the unhesitating support of the Opposition. [Loud Ministerial and Opposition cheers.]
CHANGED IRISH FEELING.
Statement in House of Commons, Aug. 3, by John E. Redmond, M.P.
I hope the House will not consider it improper on my part in the grave circ.u.mstances in which we are a.s.sembled if I intervene for a very few moments. I was moved a great deal by that sentence in the speech of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in which he said that the one bright spot in the situation was the changed feeling in Ireland. In past times, when this empire has been engaged in these terrible enterprises it is true--it would be the utmost affectation and folly on my part to deny it--the sympathy of the Nationalists of Ireland, for reasons to be found deep down in centuries of history, has been estranged from this country. But allow me to say that what has occurred in recent years has altered the situation completely. [Ministerial cheers.] I must not touch, and I may be trusted not to touch, on any controversial topics, but this I may be allowed to say--that a wider knowledge of the real facts of Irish history have, I think, altered the view of the democracy of this country toward the Irish question, and today I honestly believe that the democracy of Ireland will turn with the utmost anxiety and sympathy to this country in every trial and every danger that may overtake it. [General cheers.] There is a possibility at any rate of history repeating itself. The House will remember that in 1778, at the end of the disastrous American war, when it might, I think, truly be said that the military power of this country was almost at its lowest ebb, and when the sh.o.r.es of Ireland were threatened with foreign invasion, a body of 100,000 Irish volunteers sprang into existence for the purpose of defending her sh.o.r.es. At first no Catholic--ah! how sad the reading of the history of those days is--was allowed to be enrolled in that body of volunteers, and yet from the very first day the Catholics of the South and West subscribed money and sent it toward the arming of their Protestant fellow-countrymen. Ideas widened as time went on, and finally the Catholics in the South were armed and enrolled brothers in arms with their fellow-countrymen of a different creed in the North. May history repeat itself! [Cheers.] Today there are in Ireland two large bodies of volunteers. One of them sprang into existence in the North. Another has sprung into existence in the South.
I say to the Government that they may tomorrow withdraw every one of their troops from Ireland. [General cheers.] I say that the coasts of Ireland will be defended from foreign invasion by her armed sons, and for this purpose armed Nationalist Catholics in the South will be only too glad to join arms with the armed Protestant Ulstermen in the North.
[Cheers.] Is it too much to hope that out of this situation there may spring a result which will be good not merely for the empire, but good for the future welfare and integrity of the Irish Nation. [Cheers.] I ought to apologize for having intervened [cries of "No"], but while Irishmen generally are in favor of peace, and would desire to save the democracy of this country from all the horrors of war, while we would make any possible sacrifice for that purpose, still if the dire necessity is forced upon this country we offer to the Government of the day that they may take their troops away, and that if it is allowed to us in comradeship with our brethren in the North we will ourselves defend the coasts of our country. [Loud cheers.]
GREAT BRITAIN"S ULTIMATUM TO GERMANY.
Prime Minister Asquith Explains Its Nature in House of Commons, Aug. 4, 1914.
_Mr. Bonar Law_--I wish to ask the Prime Minister whether he has any statement that he can now make to the House?
_The Prime Minister_ (_Mr. Asquith_)--In conformity with the statement of policy made here by my right honorable friend the Foreign Secretary yesterday, a telegram was early this morning sent by him to our Amba.s.sador in Berlin. It was to this effect:
The King of the Belgians has made an appeal to his Majesty the King for diplomatic intervention on behalf of Belgium. His Majesty"s Government are also informed that the German Government have delivered to the Belgian Government a note proposing friendly neutrality entailing free pa.s.sage through Belgian territory, and promising to maintain the independence and integrity of the kingdom and its possessions at the conclusion of peace, threatening in case of refusal to treat Belgium as an enemy. An answer was requested within twelve hours. We also understand that Belgium has categorically refused this as a flagrant violation of the law of nations. His Majesty"s Government are bound to protest against this violation of a treaty to which Germany is a party in common with themselves, and must request an a.s.surance that the demand made upon Belgium may not be proceeded with, and that her neutrality will be respected by Germany. You should ask for an immediate reply.
We received this morning from our Minister at Brussels the following telegram:
German Minister has this morning addressed note to the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs stating that, as Belgian Government have declined the well-intended proposals submitted to them by the Imperial Government, the latter will, deeply to their regret, be compelled to carry out, if necessary by force of arms, the measures considered indispensable in view of the French menaces.
Simultaneously--almost immediately afterward--we received from the Belgian Legation here in London the following telegram:
General Staff announces that territory has been violated at Gemmenich (near Aix-la-Chapelle).
Subsequent information tended to show that the German force has penetrated still further into Belgian territory. We also received this morning from the German Amba.s.sador here the telegram sent to him by the German Foreign Secretary, and communicated by the Amba.s.sador to us. It is in these terms:
Please dispel any mistrust that may subsist on the part of the British Government with regard to our intentions by repeating most positively formal a.s.surance that, even in the case of armed conflict with Belgium, Germany will, under no pretense whatever, annex Belgian territory. Sincerity of this declaration is borne out by fact that we solemnly pledged our word to Holland strictly to respect her neutrality. It is obvious that we could not profitably annex Belgic territory without making at the same time territorial acquisitions at expense of Holland. Please impress upon Sir E. Grey that German Army could not be exposed to French attack across Belgium, which was planned according to absolutely unimpeachable information. Germany had consequently to disregard Belgian neutrality, it being for her a question of life or death to prevent French advance.
I have to add this on behalf of his Majesty"s Government: We cannot regard this as in any sense a satisfactory communication. We have, in reply to it, repeated the request we made last week to the German Government, that they should give us the same a.s.surance in regard to Belgian neutrality as was given to us and to Belgium by France last week. We have asked that a reply to that request and a satisfactory answer to the telegram of this morning--which I have read to the House--should be given before midnight.
PENETRATION OF BELGIAN TERRITORY.
Statement by Prime Minister Asquith in House of Commons, Aug. 5.
_Mr. Bonar Law_--May I ask the Prime Minister if he has any information he can give us today?
_The Prime Minister_--Our Amba.s.sador at Berlin received his pa.s.sports at 7 o"clock last evening and since 11 o"clock last night a state of war has existed between Germany and ourselves.
We have received from our Minister at Brussels the following telegram:
I have just received from Minister for Foreign Affairs [that is the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs] a note of which the following is a literal translation:
"Belgian Government regret to have to inform his Majesty"s Government that this morning armed forces of Germany penetrated into Belgian territory in violation of engagements a.s.sumed by treaty.
Belgian Government are further resolved to resist by all means in their power.