Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1914-08-07
ENGLAND FOR WAR
GREAT BRITAIN DECLARES WAR
ON GERMANY-AlL EUROPE
is UP IN ARMS.
PREMIER ASQUITH REPLIES
British Ambassador Gets Passports
Invasion of Belgium to Be Resented
England Appeals to Gar
Premier Asquith Gets Reply.


London.-Great Britain has declared
war on Germany. The British foreign
office has issued the following state
ment:
Owing to the summary rejection by
the German government of the request
made by his Brittanic majestys gov
eminent that the neutrality of Belgium
should be respected, his majesty's am
bassador at Berlin has received his
passports, and his majesty's govern
ment has declared to the German gov
eminent that state of war exists be-
tween Great Britain and Germany from
II o'clock p. M, August A."
The momentous decision of the Brit
ish government, for which the whole
world had been waiting, came before
the expiration of the time limit set by
Great Britain in her ultimatum to
Germany demanding a satisfactory re-
ply in regard to Belgian neutrality.
Germanys' reply was the summary
rejection of the request that Belgian
neutrality should be respected.
The British ambassador at Berlin
thereupon received his passports and
the British government notified Ger
many that a state of war existed be-
tween lne TWO COuulIltS.
All Europe is now in arms. On the
one hand Austria-Hungary and Ger
many are opposed by Russia, France
and Great Britain, Servia and Monte
NEGRO.
Italy has declared her neutrality, but
is mobilizing. Belgium Holland and
Switzerland have modified The Ger
man demand that the Belgian gov
eminent shall permit the free passage
of German troops through Belgium
was answered by hasty preparations
to resist such an advance across Bel
gian territory.
Sweden has made no answer to in
quiries from Russia and Germany re-
garding her attitude, but is preparing
to defend her neutrality.
Japan is making ready to live up to
her alliance with Great Britain in case
of certain eventualities. Spain is re-
ported to be preparing a proclamation
of neutrality.
Austria-Hungary for the moment
has retired from her campaign against
] Servia for the purpose of holding back
Russia, and Servia has modified with
the reported intention of invading
Bosnia.
King Georges telegram to the Rus
sian emperor, in final effort to avoid
war, and the emperor's reply, have
been made public. The king, express
ing the opinion that there had been
some misunderstanding to lead to the
breaking off of negotiations, said:
81 make personal appeal to you to
remove the misapprehensiona and leave
open the grounds for negotiations for
possible peace
The Russian emperor replied that he
would have accepted the proposals had
not Germany declared war.
Germany" says the emperor,
showed no disposition to mediate, and
her preparations and those of Austria
made it imperative that Russia should
mobilize, but / gave most categorical
assurances to the German emperor
that the Russian troops would not
move so long as the negotiations con-
tinue."
The reply concludes:
81 trust that your country will not
fail to support Russia and France. God
bless and protect you"
Speaking in, the house of commons
Premier Asquith said that a telegram
had been sent to Sir Edward Goschen,
British ambassador in Berlin, to the
|
THE king of the Belgians has APP
pealed to his Brittanic majesty's gov
eminent for diplomatic Intervention
on behalf of Belgium. The British
government is also informed that the
German government has delivered to
the Berlin government a note pro-
posing friendly neutrality pending a
free passage of German troops through
Belgium and promising to maintain
the independence and integrity of the
kingdom and it's possessions on the
conclusion of peace, threatening, in
case of refusal, to treat Belgium as
an enemy"
Sir Edward Grey, the British foreign
secretary, requested an answer within
IL hours.
Premier Asquith then read a tele-
gram from the German foreign minis
ter which the German ambassador in
London had sent to Sir Edward Grey
1t was as follows:
'Please dispel any distrust that may
subsist on the part of the British gov
eminent with regard to our intentions
by repeating most positively the for
NAL assurance that even in case OF
armed conflict with Belgium, Germany
will under no pretensions whatever
annex Belgian territory"