Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1915-04-02
KING ALBERT DEFENDS BEL
GUM.

publishes an interview with King. AL
bert of Belgium obtai ned by its
special correspondent on the war.
The Kings narratives of events lead
ing up to Belgium's participation in
the war and his denial of any under
standing with England which amount
ed to violation of neutrality is given
The King said:
"At an early hour on Monday MORN
ing august 81 the Minister of Bel
GUM to Berlin asked by telephone to
be received by the Germany Sec
rotary of State; the audience was
Immediately granted
THE Minister of Belgium had hard
ly uttered few words when Mr..
Won Jagow interposed: ..--
Believe me, it is with heavy
heart that Germany has resolved to
violate the neutrality of Belgium, and
personally it causes me the keenest
regrets. But what can be done? It
is question of life and death for
the empire. If the German armies
do not wish to be caught between the
hammer and the anvil they must
strike great blow against France
in order to be able afterward to turn
upon the Russins.
French Frontier Too Strong.
gian Minister), the frontiers of
France are broad enough for YOU to
avoid passing through Belgium
They are too strongly fortified. Be-
sides, what are we asking of you?
Merely to allow us free passage and
not to destroy your railroads nor
your tunnels, and to allow us to occ-
upy those forts we need"
There is,' the Belgian Minister
Immediately answered, "a very easy
way to put the only answer that this
demand can have. 1t is to imagine
that France had invited us to do the
same thing, and that we had agreed.
Would not Germany have said that we
mad betrayed her in most cowardly
manner?'
"The secretary of State having left
this pointed question unanswered,
Baron Beyens continues:
AT least he asked, have you any,
thing with which to approach us. Have
we not always, for three-quarters of
century, fulfilled towad Germany as
toward all the great guaranteeing
powers all the obligations of our
neutrality? Have we not given to
Germany proofs of our loyal friend
ship? In what coin does Germany pro-
pose to pay us? BY making Belgium
the battlefield ofEurope, and that
knowing what devastation and what
calamities modern warfare must en-
tail.?"
Did Not Blame Belgium.
Herr Won Jagow answered: Ger
many has no reproach to make a
gainst Belgium, and the attitude of
Belgium has always been perfectly
correct.
"'Well then, admit rejoined Baron
Beyens, that Belgium can give you
no other answer than the one she gives
without FORGETTING her honor. 1t is
it not for peoples of different standard
of honor to that of individuals. You
must at least admit, Baron Beyens
insisted, that the answer is what it
should be-
II recognize it as private individ-
ual, but as Secretary of State / have
no opinion to express"
ONE to the aid of the patty.
Denies Forfeiting Neutrality.
Then taking up the German accusa-
ton that Belgium had entered into a
pact with England, the King said:
"No honest man could have acted
otherwise than did. Belgium never
departed for an instant nor in the
slightest degree from the strictest
neutrality, and Belgium was always
the loyal friend of each and every one
of the powers that guaranteed her
nuetrality. At first Germany openly
admitted that. in violating the neut-
rality Of Belgium she was doing
wrong, but how for the purposes of
campaign ofpropaganda in neutral
countries, an attempt is being made
to cast slur upon Belgium and hold
her up to scorn as having perfdiously
departed from her neutrality in con-
nection with the socalled Anglo-Bel-
GUM convention of which so much
is being made.
81 can say this. No one in Belgium
ever gave the name of Anglo Belgium
conventions of the letter of General
Ducarne to the Minister of War de-
failing the entirely informal CONVEX
sations with the British military at
tache, but was so DESTROYS of avoid
ing even Resemblance of anything
that might be construed as unneutral
that ] had the matters of which it is
now sought to make so much COM
municated to the German military at.
tache in Brussels. When the Ger
mans went through our archives they
knew exactly what they would find
there, and all their presents surprise
and Indignation are assumed"