Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-25
THAT SCRAP OF PAPER
IN A NEW LIGHT
Continued From Page y

| SoiNC i0CStiOH- dShcU tiic ChdiiCcl1CI.
''The day before my conversation with
Ambassador Goschen, Sir Edward Grey.
British secretary Of state for foreign
affairs) had delivered his we'll known
speech in parliament in which, while
he had not stated expressly that Eng
land would take part in the war, he had
left the matter in little doubt.
One needs only to read this speech
through carefully to learn the reason for
England's Intervention in the war. Amid
ali his beautiful phrases about England $
honor and England's obligations, we find
| it over and over again expressed that
England's interests-its own interests
call for participation in the war for it
is not England's interests that a vic
tol.ous and. therefore stronger Germany
should emerge from the war.
British Policy
This old principal of English policy
is to take as the sole criterion of its
actions its private interests regardless
of right, reason or considerations of HUI
manity-is expressed in that speech OF
Gladstone, in 1870, on Belgian neutrality,
from which Sir Edward quoted.
Mr.. Gladstone then declared that he
was unable to subscribe to the doc
trine that the simple fact OF the exist
ence Of a guarantee is binding on every
party thereto. irrespective altogether of
may find itself at time when the oc-
casion for action on the guarantee ar
rives, and he referred to such English
statesmen as Aberdeen ana Palmerston
as supporters of his views.
England drew the sword, continued
ho sn.,Ix - ~
lieved its own interests demanded I'll
Just for Belgian neutrality il would
never have entered. the war.
That is what l meant when I told
Sir William Goschen in that last inter-
view, when We sat down to talk the mat
ter over privately, man to man, that
among the reasons which had impel!ed
England to go into the war, the Belgian
neutrality +reaty had for only the value
OF d scrap OF paper.
Efforts for Peace
II may have been a bit excited and
aroused said the chancellor, "N no
would not have been at seeing the hopes
and the work of the whole period OF my
chancellorship going for naught? I re-
called to the ambassador my efforts for
years to bring about an understanding
between England and Germany; an IN
Outstanding which. I reminded him,
would have made general European
war impossible, and which absolutely
would have guaranteed the peace OF Eu-
rope.
Such an understanding the chancel-
Tor interjected parenthetically, would
have form cd tho ha sic on which yx,a cou11
have approached the United States as a
taken up this plan. and through its en-
try into the war had destroyed forever
the hope of its fulflment.
Eneiand's Intention
I'm comparison with such momentous
consequences, was the treaty not a
scrap of paper? England ought really to
cease harping on this theme of Belgian
neutrality" said the chancellor. Doc
uments on the Anglo-Belgian military
agreement which We have found in the
meantime show plainly enough how Eng
land regarded this neutrality. AS YOU
know, we found in the archives Of the
Belgian foreign Office documents which
showed that England in 1911 was deter
mined to throw troops into Belgium,
without the assent OF the Belgian gov
eminent, if war had then broken out
In other words, to do exactly the same
thing for which it now reploaches Ger
many.
I'm some later dispatch Sir Edward
Grey. / believe, informed Belgium that
he did not believe England would take
such step because he did not think
English public opinion would justify that
action. And still people in the United
States wonder that 1 characterized as a
scrap of paper the treaty whose otserv-
ance. according to responsible British
statesmen, should be dependent on the
pleasure of British public opinion-a
treaty which England itself had long
since undermined with its military
agreements with Belgium.
Greys Refusal
Remember, too, that Sir Edward Grey
expressly refused to assure is of Eng
lands neutrality. even in the event that
Germany respected Belgian neutrality.
Il can understand therefore, the Eng
lish displeasure at my characterization
of the treaty of 1899 as a scrap OF paper.
for this scrap of paper was for England
| extremely valuable, furnishing an eX-
cuse before the world for embarking in
the war.
Il hope. however, that in the United
States you will see clearly enough that
England in this matter, too, acted solely
on the principle of right or wrong. my
interest
The chancellor during the conversation
had twice risen to take a few impa-
tient steps about the room. He spoke
calmly enough. but with an undercur-
rent Of deep feeling, particularly when
he mentioned his efforts for an under
standing with England and world peace,
which he had hoped would come from
them based ON agreement between Great
Britain, Germany and the United States;
and with a note OF thorough conviction
in the justice of the Germany position
toward Belgium.