Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-20
BRITISH SINCERITY
SECUTED IN Berlin
England Decided to Aid France
Before Belgian Invasion,
1t Is Charged.
= "a.
WAS ALSO NEGOTIATING
WITH RUSSIA, IS CLAIM
Notes of Foreign Ministers Cited as
Proof That German View
Il Correct.
Of the Associated Press.

Correspondents Of the Associated Press.
BERLIN. September L. Nobody in
Germany Is willing to admit the sim
certify of Great Britain in basing it's
declaration of war upon Germany's
violation of the territory of Belgium
and Luxembourg, and much alleged evil
dence is produced In newspapers and
to prove that Great Britain
had already made up its mind to join
France and Russia previous to Ger
many's advance upon Belgian territory.
In the highest circles of the German
government 1t is claimed that the for
eign Office has evidence that Great
Britain was negotiating with Russia
several months before the war broke
out to furnish ships for a descent of
Russian troops on the coast of Pom
erania, which lies on the Baltic sea to
the north of Berlin, but 1t appears that
nothing came of these negotiations.
One Bit Of Evidence.
Another curious and timely piece of
evidence is presented in the shape of
an item purporting to be from the
Paris Gil Bias Of February 25. 1913.
That paper on this date is said to have
published the following:
"A newspaper of eastern France has
revealed q highly interesting piece of
news. In military circles there it is
related that large stocks of British am
munition have for several weeks been
brought into Maubeuge. near the
northeastern frontier of France, on the
railway line from Paris to Cologne.
The city of Maubeuge is Of great mill
tary Importance. 1t is designated in
the French general staff's plan of cam
paign as the concentration point for
the allied troops, which will be COM
manded in case of a war by the Eng
lish field marshal, Sir John French, un-
der Gen. Joffre. as chief.
1t is well known that the British can
non fire different projectile from
ments. however, have reached an
agreement to accumulate on French
territory in time of peace the neces-
sary war supplies Of ammunition for
the English artillery
Notes Cited as Proof.
That Sir Edward Grey. the British
foreign secretary, had substantially
agreed to give France military support
in the event of a war with Germany
is also regarded in German circles as
proved by the notes of the French and
British foreign ministers, which were
read in the British parliament and in
the French embassy about the middle
of August.
Dispatches announcing that Great
Britain had held up neutral Neither
lands ships and taken from them Ger
man reserves, and that she had also
taken German mails from neutral ships.
have caused much bitter comment IN
Germany. In respect to the arrest and
detention OF the 400 German reserves
who were on their way home from New
, York on the Dutch liner Noordam, it Is
asserted here that Great Brftain's act
is a fragrant violation of the declara-
ton of London, to which Great Britain
Is q party.
Seizure Of German Mails.
In regard to the seizure Of German
mails, 1t rs also commended that this
was contrary to The Hague convention
of 1907, which declares that the mails
of a belligerent state carried on neu-
trail vessels are inviolable.
Still another grievance is that Au-
gust /, three days before Great Brit
aims declaration of war, the British
authorities at Port Said detained the
German steamer Dufiiinger and re-
moved parts Of her machinery SO that
she could not proceed; in some cases,
ships was removed and sent ashore. -
All this occurred German officials
point out, contrary to the neutral
character of the SueZ canal stipulated
in treaties and on which Great Britain
largely based its action in the Panama
canal negotiations with the United
States.