The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1914-09-16

London, Sept. 15.-S:45 p. m.-The
official press bureau announces that
the following statement is issued
with the authority of Sir Edward
Grey, secretary of state for foreign
affairs, with regard to the communi-
cation made by DR.. Won Bethmann-
Hollweg, imperial German chancellor,
to the press;
Does any one believe asks the
German chancellor, that England
would have interfered to protect Bel
gian freedom against France?'
The answer is that she would I'M
questionably have done so. Sir Ed
ward Grey, as reported in the White
Paper, asked the French government
whether it was prepared to respect
the neutrality of Belgium so long as
no other power violated it.
"The French government replied
that they were resolved to respect it,,
The assurance, it was added, had
been given several times and had
formed the subject of conversation
between President Poincare and the
German chancellor, who entirely
ignores the fact that England took
| the same line about Belgian neutral
| ity in 1870 that she has taken now.
In 1870 Prince Bismarck, when
approached by England an the sub
| ject, admitted and respected the
| treaty obligations in relation to Bel
| GUM.
"The British government stands in
1914 as it stood in 1870. 1t is Herr
| Won BethmannI1olweg who refused
to meet us in 1914, as Prince Bis
marck met us in 1870 The imperial
chancellor finds it strange that Mr..
Asquith in his Guild hall speech did
not mention the neutrality of the
Scandinavian countries and suggests
that the reason for the omission was
some sinister design on England's
part.
1T is impossible for any public
speaker to cover the whole ground in
each speech. The German chancel-
lors reference to Denmark and other
scandinavian countries hardly can be
considered tactful with regard to
Denmark. The Danes are not likely
to have forgotten the part played by
Prussia and England in 1868 and
1864, when the kingdom of Denmark
was dismembered and the integrity
of Norway and Sweden was guaran-
teed by England and France in the
treaty of Stockholm in 1855.
The imperial chancellor refers to
the dealings of Great Britain with
the Boer republic and suggests that
ause of freedom. Without going
into controversies now happily past.
we may recall what General Botha
said in the South African parliament
few days ago when expressing his
conviction of the righteousness of
Great Britains cause and expressing
the firm resolve of the South African
union to aid her in every possible
way.
Great Britain had given them
constitution under which they couce
create a great nationality, and ever
since had regarded them as a free
people and as sister state. Al
though there might be many who IN
the past had been hostile to Tie
British flag he could vouch for it
that they would ten times rather be
under the British than under the Ger
man flag.
The German chancellor is equally
unfair in hes reference to the colonial
empire. SO far as British policy has
been reckless egostic it has resulted
in a great rally of affection and com
mon interest by all the British domin
ions and dependencies among which
there is not one which is not aiding
Great Britain by soldiers or other
contributions or both in this war.
with regard to the matter of
treaty obligations generally, the Ger
man chancellor excuses the breach of
Belgium's neutrality by military ne
cessity, at the same time making a
virtue OF having respected the nea-
trality of Holland Switzerland and
saying that it does not enter his head
to touch the neutrality of the Scanli.
navian countries-a virtue which adj
mittedly is only practiced in the ab-
sence of temptation.
"To the chancellor's concluding
statement that to the German sword
is entrusted the care of freedom for
the European peoples and states, the
treatment of Belgium is a sufficient