Evening star., 1914-10-15
Embassies in Controversy
Over Alleged Pact Between
England and Belgium.
Won BERNSTORFF STATES
DOCUMENTS PROVE CLAIM
Britons Declare Story of Agreement
Regarding Invasion Is an Old
One Often Denied.

whether a pact between Great Britain
and Belgium for the importation of Eng
lish troops existed for a long time prior
to the declaration of war between Ger
many and England and before the in
vasion Of Belgium by Germany.
Count Won Bernstorff. the German am
bassador here, today issued a statement
that 'doucments are in the hands Of
the German authorities to prove this
claim. 'and will be published in full
Assertion that documents found at
Brussels showed the existence Of such
a pact and that consequently Bel
GUM has been for long time un-
neutral, with hostile intent toward
Germany, had been given wide pub
licity in German newspapers and COM
municated in authorized dispatches to
the United States.
The British embassy in an official state
ment last night denied this. saying the
report is merely new version OF story
that has been told in varying ways
and denied at different times. The
statement given out today by the German
embassy follows:
German Embassy Statement.
Concerning the Anglo-Belgian mill
tary agreement existing since 1906.
formal denial has been issued by Eng
land, which proves nothing. The docu-
ments are in the hands of the German
authorities and will be published in
full. The facts remain that So
called neutral country concluded
military agreement with England.
which provided for landing of British
troops in this neutral country. The
document proves that by It's own 1ree
will neutral Belgium accepted the
British offer and decided to fight on the
side of the allies.
"England instigated Belgium to go to
war, and when the time came to pro-
tect the unfortunate little country II
was left to it's own resources. Ger
many. on the other hand, who had
heard of Belgium's agreement with
England at the beginning OF this war.
offered to protect Belgium and to pay
full indemnity for all her losses. Ger
many would have religiously kept her
promise.
.The documents found in Brussels
further prove that as far back as 1906
England was systematically trying to
bring about the coalition which has
now forced war on Germany.
British Embassy Statement.
The statement given out by the Brit
ish embassy last night is as follows:
"The story of the alleged Anglo-Bel-
gian agreement of 1906, published in
the German press and based on docu-
ments said to have been found at
Brussels is only a fresh edition or
various forms and denied on several
occasions.
Agreement Has Never Existed.
mo such agreement has ever existed.
as the Germans well know. Gen. Grier-
son In dead and Col (now generaD
Barnardiston is commanding the Brit
ish forces before Tsinstau. In 1906
Gen. Grierson was on the general stan
at the war office. and Col. Barnardiston
was military attache at Brussels
I'm view of the solemn guaranty
given by Great Britain to protect the
neutrality of Belgium against viola
ton from any side some academic dis
cussions may, through the instrument
tality of Col. Barnardiston, have taken
place between Gen. Grierson and the
belgian military authorities as to what
assistance the British army might be
able to afford to Belgium should one
of her neighbors violate that neutrality
Some notes with reference to the SUBJ
iect NAV exist in the archives at BruS-
sells.
ut should be noted that the date
mentioned namely 1906, was the year
following that in which Germany had,
tude toward France with regard to
Morocco; and in view of the appre-
hension existing of attack on France
through Belgium it was natural that
poSSlbl eVentualilieS sHouiu oe uis-
! cussed.
Impossibility Of Such Pact.
THE impossibility of Belgium having
been party to any agreement Of the ma
| ture indicated or to any desire for vio-
| lation of Belgian neutrality is clearly
shown by the reiterated declaration
that she had made for many years past
! that she would resist to the utmost
any violation Of her neutrality. from
whatever quarter and in whatever form
| such violation might come.
| .lt is worthy of attention that these
charges of aggressive designs on the
part Of other powers are made by Ger
| many, who since 1905 has established
| an elaborate network of strategical
| railways leading from the Rhine to the
| Belgian frontier, through barren,
| thinly populated tract deliberately
| constructed to permit of the sudden at
tack upon Belgium which was carried
| out two months ago"