The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-10-08
BEL CLANS SAY GERMANS BROKE THEIR TREATIES
 IN CROSSING TERRITORY
of Verbal Written Agreements With Ger many Claimed to Show That Belgian Neutrality Would Be Sacred -PfIlagng of Cities Held As Wanon Destruction.

present Hsuropeanu war, to answer the many inquiries that have been re- ceived on the subject:
 By the, treaty Of April 18th. 1889, Prussia, France, England. Austria and uRssia declared themselves guaran- same day between the King of the Belsians and the King of tne 1Sether- lands This treaty provides:
 Belgium forms an Independent state of perpetual r1euha1fty-'
 t'That Is to say Belgium was for bidden. in case Of war, to take the part of any of the beliigerents.
 Since then Belgium has fulfilled ail her neutrality ob1igattous; she has acted in spirit Of mettcuIous saunpar- tiality. She has left nothing und one to maintain and make respected her neutrality Germanyss obligation to respect Belgian neRtrality y was even more phafica1Iy affirmed by one Of sGermany's greatest men, by the ere ator Of the Ezrnpfre. Prince, then Count Bismarck, wrote in a letter to Baron Netho11lb, Belgian minister in Berlin. on the z2nd of July, 1ST0 as follows
 .. sIn confirmation of my verbal as- ,surances, I have fhe honor to give In writing a declaration which, in view of the treaties in force, is quite super fiszous that the confederation of the Z& neutrality of Belgium on the under standing, of course that 1t is resPect-i ed by the other beuigere1ts.
 1stgned),
 WON BISMARCK
 On August 211d, last, in the. course of the day. the German minister In Brussels, M De Below Salecke, gave. an interview to the reporters of the newspaper Le Sofr,' and declared to them that Belgium had nothing to fear from Germany. He went so far as to employ this expresfon: You will see perhaps, your nedghborss house on fire but your house will remain 1n-3 tact The same day, at seven o'clock in the evening, he communicated the following note to the Belgian govern. ment. The German government has re- scefved urirnpeachable news to the eff feet that the French forces have the intention Of marching on the Meuse s1yaIMyet and Nannur- This news leaves no doubt as to the intention of France to march upon Germany from Belgian territory
 .sThe Imperial Government of Ger many cannot help fearing that Bel giu1n. in spite of the best of inten-s tions, will not be in a position to re- pulse without help an incursion by the French of such great magnitude.
 
 that Germany is seriously 4hreatened. It is the urgent Business of Germany to forestaIl thds attack on the part of. the enemy The German Government would be filed with lively regret if Belgium were to regard as an act of hostility against her the fact that her precautionary measures obIige her to violate on her side Belgian territory. E ssIn order to avoid the possibility of naisund the German Government made the following com ment:
 1st Germany contempIates no act of hostility towards Belgium. If Belgium consents to assume in the war which is about to conmence the attitude of : friendly neutrality to- wards Germany, the German Govern ment, on it's side, engages. when peace is restored, to guarantee the integrity of the Kingdom and it's possessions. on the aforesaid conditions. to eva cuate Belgian territory as soon as peace is concluded.
 .3rd: If Belgium observes attitude Germany is ready in cooperation with the authorities of the Government of Belgium, to buy for cash everything that is neces- sary for her troops, and to pay in demnities, for damage done in Bell gflIn; but if Belgium behaves in hostile manner against the troops. and in parttcuiar places dffnculties in the way of their advance by opposi- ten by the fortffications of the railways, tunnels or other works, ] Germany will be obliged to consider Belgium as an enemy.
 x Tn that case Germany will enter into no agreement with the Kingdom, but will allow the further relation- -E.G. n decision of arms. The German gov ernment feels that it ts justified i1l hoping that this eventuality will know how to take appropriate measures to prevent it's snateriaIiza4ion In that case the friendly relations which unite the two neIghboring States will become closer and more Iasting'
 Such is the German note It will be noticed that there Is no question of the alleged entry of French avia- tors and officers into Belgium. as has been stated in several papers here The document in fact knocks that fable on the head The only reason given for the violation of Belgian ter ritory is the alleged intention of the French army to march upon Gfvet and Namur. This assertion is sup ported by no proof. and is denied by the French Government which of1- ciaIIy declared to Belgium and Eng land it's intention of not violating Belgian territory On the contrary, the prenaeditated intention of Ger many to violate Belgian neutrality is proved in the most irrefutable way 1 by the affirmation of the German Secretary Of State, himself, and by that of the German Chan celIor..
 To the request of Sir William Cos chen, the English ambassador in Der in, to be allowed to know if Germany would pledge herself to respect the neutrality of Belgium, the German 1 secretary of state replied that this neutrality had already been violated | by Germany Herr von Jagow went again into the reasons why the Impe-