New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-04
Germany's Invasion of Belgium
Forces Great Britain's Hand.

C,raot Rritafn debated all DAY yesler""3 "
- NOT she should join forces actively Win riNi0'
aud Russia against Germany and Austria' nu'''
~. Tho rressure for unconditional cooperation
..,.h tho other powers in the Triple Entente Dc
.ome stronger as the day wore on, since "o'"
was received from the King Of the BeisianS 'u''
tho neutrality of Belgian territory was threatened
-. co~r,orr A few hours later German forces
invaded Belgium with view TO making II o@S'
Of operations against France.
The p,trs Radicals and some Of the members OIL
tho Labor party held out for the policy OF s'anu'
,r- nv for the present and intervening at or near
,,,o ond or the quarrel But the futlity OF that
course was too apparent TO make II appear u
many As Sir Edward Grey justly said Great
pr;,oin would suffer practically as much by stay
ing out as by going in. since commerce "ouio 0'
susnended and virtual state of war would COLI
Time 10 exist As matter of fact Great BTU
aims active participation would help TO shorten
,ho war and thus keep down her own losses ana
the losses of the world at large. Every consider"
ton Of nocy as we'll as of loyalty TO engagements
seems TO force Great Britain into the struggle
Parliament had not declared war up to late hour
last night but there was every indication mat
having vainly tried TO maintain the peace OF
rrrone Great Britain would soon yield TO the III
evitable.
1taiv,s renewal of her declaration of neutrality
,o,,ed also TO clarity the situation. With Italy
ont the area Of the war can be circumscnoed.
Had Italy supported Austria Hungary the Italian
vernment would have had TO face the danger OF
So n internal revolution.
II remains one of the paradoxes of the situation
that Austria, Hungary is still officially at war only
with servia. She has not acted against any other
mower. nor has any other power acted against her
The direction of the war waged by the Triple NOV
Duan Alliance has passed entirely into the hands
of Germany.
The latter's aggressive policy was again mani
tested yesterday in the violation Of Belgum's neu
trality. As in the case of Luxembourg. occupied il
mart by German forces on Sunday, the European
M powers have a compact pedging each to main
b tain Begium's territorial integrity and sovereign
~. But military considerations led the Berii
government to make waste paper Of that com
pact
Germany refused TO give Great Britain guar
antee that Belgium's neutrality should be respec:
ed and then sought to force on the Belgian gov
eminent an understanding by which the Kaiser
forces should have free PASSAGE through Belgium
,.o Irronca Tho ou.hortiaS Of Rrussels nattlrall,
declined TO make a concession humiliating in itsel
and inconsistent with Belgiums obligations t
France, Russia Great Britain and all the othe
powers which Joined in guaranteeing Belgian in
dependence. If Germany holds what she ha
seized, Belgium will either have to yield all pre-
tensions to nationality or fight
The German General Stairs plans for an in
vasion Of France apparently call for a larger from
for operations than is afforded by the Franco.Gef
man boundary II is said to be the Kaiser's inten
ion to hurl 100000 men against France Blu
900 men cannot well be handled on the pres
limited frontier. 1t would give the Germah'
per scope for big turning movements If Lux
nburg and Belgium were made bases Of opera
tion and Paris should be threatened from the ex
IRENE northeast instead Of directly from the east
Moreover, French preparations for an attacl
through Belgian territory have probably not beer
very thoroughly worked out.
In war big risks must be taken, and military
advantage may be held by the Germans to justify
the violation of treaties and the overrunning OF
neutral states But from the point Of view Of in
ternational honor and decent respect for the
>.oinion Of the world they are too reminiscent OF
Ne old.fashioned Prussian policy Of blood and
ron" They will raise in the minds of all the
small Western European states-Hollsnd and
Switzerland, as well as Belgium-the suspicion
that Germany if victorious now, is prepar VI
20 treat them as Prussia treated Hanover in
1866.
II was reported that German troops occupied
norton of Basic yesterday. II Belgium and Lux
mburg are 20 be used as bases for tren n
ompaign. why shouldn't Switzerland be-
Napoleon the First is dead but f. Germany wins