The Washington herald., 1914-08-23
BELGIUM WASI IN
Secret PACT
Had Agreed to Help France
and England, Says German
Body m United States.
KAISER KNEW WAR PLAN
Violation of Little country's Neu-
traliy Was Only Course Left Open
to Him, 1t Is Asserted.

Special to Ths washington Herald.
New York. Aug. PIN an effort TO
allay anti-German sentiment the Ger
man-American Chamber of Commerce t.
day issued a statement. explaining why
the Kaisers army deliberately violated
the neutrality Of Belgium. The statement.
In part. follows:
Belgium is fortified on its German
boundary, whereas II has neglected dur
ing the last thirty years TO take similar
precautions to protect itself against is
French and English neighbors- Thers Is
a secret Anglo-French-B Belgian agreement,
the real existence OF which was es.ab-
lished at the beginning OF the Morocco
struggles. Germany for a long time had
knowledge Of this agreement, and acted
accordingly.
Only Course Left Open.
England decreed the mobilization Of
Its army on August 2. started the trans
portation Of its troops to the continent
in the night between the third and fourth.
sent Its ultimatUm. regarding the neu-
trality, Of Belgium. on August l. declaring
war on Germany in the night between
the fourth and fifth.
The only course left open for Ger
many's seh-preservation was to anticl-
pate the passage Of troops through the
neutral territory of Belgium and to take
possession of its fortresses. The quick
and precise strategic movements OF its
armies assured their success and check
mated French-English actions in Bel
GUM.
Every government that seriously con-
siders the inviolability Of its boundaries.
that desires TO protect its neutrality at
any cost, takes measures to protect Itself
in all directions. impartially against all
neighbors, as We find in the case Of Hot
land and Switzerland. They are alert
and ready for self-defense in their atti-
tude TO all their neighbors.
TT Is otherwise with Belgium. Belgium
has never even tried to rely upon herself.
Wooed for decades by French and Eng
lish politics. she always confided the
maintenance OF her neutrality TO these
powers.
This event went so far that French
engineers. under the supervision Of Gen.
Brialmont, constructed the Belgian for
tresses. Since 1886 up TO the present time
French engineers had charge Of the mod
ernization Of all her forts.
Knew EnemIes' Plans.
The German government is in pos
session Of documents that were ex-
changed between the present COM
mander of the British army, Gen.
French, and the French secretary OF
war, in which all the details of a land
ing OF an English expedition on French
and Belgian territory were discussed
and settled.
should Germany wait until England
and France. after a free passage
through Belgium. attack her unprO-
tected right wing? Germany had
knowledge of the Franco-BelEian mill
tsry agreements. She knew of Frances
plans. The only successful defense Ger
many could offer was TO answer attack
with attack.
II Germany could have taken for
granted that Belgium would defend
her neutrality against France and Eng
land as energetically as she did against
the German Empire. she would have
found, in the maintenance Of Belgium's'
neutrality. an efficient protection Of her
boundaries and would surely never
even have considered adding Belgium
to the number Of her enemies"