The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-28
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES IN THE WAR ZONE
In the Wake of the War

In theWa ake
 Rome. August 27.-Cvia Paris. e:1o p. m.) Germany has sent a special representa- tive here to organize a press service as the lack of German war news is con sidered detrimental to the influence Ger many wishes to exercise in Italy. Seri- ous difficulty is being encountered in ob- | taining from Switzerland permission to use the telephone through her territory. Paris, August 27.--d0:5o p. m.)-The uni- fled socialists tonight issued a manifesto in which they declared they were in ac- cord with the socialist members of the new cabinet and would share in the re- responsibilities which they assumed. If" says the manifesto, it concerned only ordinary participation in a bour- goueis government our consent would not have been obtained. But it concerns the future of the nation and the life of France and the socialist party has not | hestated."
  consequences which both he and would deplore..
 He replied that for reasons he had given me it was now impossible for f.ira to draw back"
 | The British ambassador went to the German foreign office again the same afternoon and informed the secretary tof state that unless the imperial gov I lernment could give assurances by 12 1 o'clock that night that they would pro- ceed no further with the violation of the Belgian frontier and stop their ad- vance. he had been instructed by Sir 1 Edward Grey to demand his passports anc to inform the imperial government l that his majestys government would have to take all steps in it's power to uphold neutral Belgium and the ob- servance of the treaty to which Ger many was as much a party as Great 1 Britain
 Herr von Jagow." says the report. ',crlied that to his great regret he could give no other answer than that which he had given me earlier in the day, namely that the safety of the em- pire rendered it necessary that the im- perial troops should advance through | Belgium.
 I T gave his excelleney a written sum mary of your telegram and pointing out that you had mentioned 12 o'clock as | the time when his majesty's govern inent would expect an answer asked him whether in view of the terrible consequences which would necessarily ensue, it was not possible even at the last moment that their answer should be reconsidered. He replied1that if the time given were even 24 hours or more his answer must be the same
 no~.o,LaJ Dcsenorf.
 l T said that in that case I should lave to demand my passports The interview took place about o'clock In a short conversation which ensued Herr Won Jagow expressed his lpoignant regret at the crumbling of his entire policy and that of the i'm lperiol chancellor which had been to rnake friends with Great Britain and then, through Great Britain. to get closer to France
 q said that this sudden end to my
 work in Berlin was to me also a matter
 of deep regret and disappointment, but
 that he must understand that under the
 circumstances and in view of our en-
 agreements his majestys government
 could not have acted otherwise than il
 had done'
 The amba ssador then went to see tho
 imperial chancellor. pr. Won Bethmann Hollwegg. whom he found excited.
 The chancellor" says the report, 'be
 gan a harangue which lasted about ?,
 minutes. He said the step taken by Great
 Britaini was terrible to a degree. Just fol
 a word, neutrality word. which ii
 war time had been so often disregarded just for a scrap of paper. Great Britain
 was going to make war on kindred
 nation. who desired nothing better thar , to be friends with her. All his efforts
 in that direction had been rendered use. less by this last terrible step, and thu
 policy to which. l knew he had de voted himself since his accession to of , flee, was tumbled down like house oi
 cards.
 Chancellor Was Excited What we had done was unthinkable
 It was like striking a man from behind
 while he was fighting for his life aganis
 two assailants. He held Great Britain
 responsible for all the terrible events tha might happen.
 q protested strongly against this state
 ment and said that in the same way ano
 Herr Won Jagow wished me to under : stand that for strategical reasons 1t was |, a matter of life or death to Germany tt
 advance through Belgium and violat,
 the latter's neutrality so I would wist
 him to understand that it was so tt
 speak, matter of life or death for thu honor of Great Britain that she should keep her solemn engagement to do hel ,, utmost to defend Belgium's neutrality il ! attacked A solemn compact had to b, kept or what confidence could anyon,
 have in engagements given by Grea
 Britaini in the future? .
 .The chancellor said: But at wha } price will that compact have been kept , has the British government thought o that?'
 "I hinted to his excellency as plainly as l could that fear of consequences hard } ly could be regarded al an excuse fol breaking a solemn engagement. But hi excellency was so excited. so evidently $ overcome by the news of our action, st little disposed to hear reason that I re trained from additional fuel to the fam. by further argument
 "As I was leaving he said that the blow } of Great Britain joining Germanys enc mics was all the greater because almos up to the last moment he and his govern
 ment had been working with us and sup porting our efforts to maintain peace be tween Austria and Russia
 T said that this was part of the trag
 edy which saw two nations fall apar
 just at the moment when the relation
 between them were more friendly am , cordial than they had been for years
 Unfortunately. notwithstanding our eff
 forts to maintain peace between Austri; and Russia, war had spread and brough us face to face with a situation whicl entailed our separation from our late fel
 low workers. He would readily under Fl stand that no one regretted this nor,