Arizona republican., 1914-10-08

troops to the German frontier. Ra- pidity of action was the great Ger man asset, while that of Russia was the inexhaustible supply of troops. 1 (Offieial report of the British ann bassador in Berlin to the British gov ernment.)
 This conversation preceded by a few minutes that in which the Ger man chancellor giddy at the sight of ] the atyss into which Germany was falling, uttered these celebrated words: Just for a word, neutrality, a word which in war times has been so often disregarded, just for 2 scrap of paper, Great Britain is gO- l ing to make war upon a kindred na- tion. At what price would that com pact have been kept? Has the Brit ish government thought of that?" Sir William Goschen replied that fear of consequences would hardly be re- Sarded as an excuse for breaking 8 solemn engagement. (Official report of the British ambassador in Berlin to his government)
 It is very clear from these docu- ments that Germany had for a long time premeditated the violation of the neutrality of Belgium, and that she has even reconciled herself to the terrible danger of war with Great Britain rather than renounce the advantages she thought she would gain by not respecting the treaty. In the face of these confessions, the al legations that France wished to vio- late the neutrality of Belgium, an delegation supported by no proof, falls tc the ground.
 To continue the analysis of the : German note, one reads: "1f Bel = gium consents to assume in the war which is about to commence the at titude of friendly neutrality towards Germany, the German government, on it's side, engages, when peace is restored, to guarantee the integrity of the kingdom and it's possessions" /"
 Could Belgium, without being false to her duties of neutrality, take up the position which the German gov eInment calls friendly neutrality? That is to say, could she allow the German armies to pass without op- position through her territory? Can the German government itself an swer that question?
 It is enough to re-read the conver- sation given above between the Brit ish ambassador and the German sec : retary of state to come to clear conclusion in that respect. If the violation of Belgian territory was to procure so signal an advantage to Germany that she had no fear of bringing on war with England to 2t- tain it, then for Belgium to lend her self to the passage of German troops must have meant the certainty of fatal consequences for France. Thus for Belgium to have yielded to the German ultimatum would have, ipso facto conferred a considerable ad- vantage to Germany to the detri- ment of the other belligerent, and would have constituted a breach of neutrality.
 Germany concludes her note by threats. She engages, on the condi- tions already defined, to evacuate Belgian territory at the conclusion of peace. If Belgium behaves in a hos tile manner, that is to say, if she aces her duty, Germany will be obliged to consider Belgium as ar enemy She would then leave the ultimate arrangements of the rela
 tions of the two states to the de- cision of arms-in other words. :f Belgium does not agree to violate the l hnr enemy and adds the yelled threat
 of annexing a part or the whole ot her territory.
 The moral fibre of nations is not always measured by their size ol power. Belgium is small and weak
 but her answer bears witness to hel love of justice and her respect oi the right. She would rather die with
 honor than live Gishonored
 That was made clear by the an- swer of her government. The answer , was as follows:
 "The German note has been g painful surprise to the Belgian gov
 ernment The intentions which thc
 Note attributes to France are ir contradiction to the formal declara-
 tons which were made to us on the
 1st of August in the name of the
 republic. Besides-if, contrary to oul expectations, France is about to vio : late the neutrality of Belgium, Bel
 sium would be prepared to fulfil its , neutrality obligations, and her army
 would offer to the invader the most vigorous resistance. The treaties o1
 1899. confirmed by the treaties o1 1870, commit to the guarantee of tht powers, and notably to the govern ment of his majesty, the king o1 Prussia, the independence and neu- trality of the kingdom of Belgium. The chancellor of the German em . pire said in a sitting of the Reich stag, on the 4th of August: 'We ar' in a state of legitimate defense. Ne , cessity knows no law Our troop. have occupied Luxembourg and have 7 perhaps already penetrated into Bel } eium This is against the law o
 nations. France, it is true, has de 7 clared to Brussels that she is deter } mined to respect the neutrality o : Belgium as long as her adversary re