The Irish standard., 1915-01-23
to the named French ports in order
to transport the British troops into
Po1oi,,v, oro do<aI F~o,.n aonc

to transport the British troops into
Belgium, are dated from 1906.
"The Belgium Minister at Berlin.
Baron Greindl well known Berlin
patriot, protested to the government.
In It he said that it was not quite safe
to trust to the British and French to
keep the Belgium neutrality, that it
was not wise to take all measures
only against a German infraction of
Belgium neutrality and that the Brit
ish spirit was clearly shown by the
words Of Colonel Barnardiston that
the Scheldt might be used for trans.
porting troops in Belgium
Charges British Threat.
Furthermore. it will be remem-
bered that the British and French gov
ernments violently protested when the
plans were made public that the
Dutch government intended to fort
ify the mouth of the Scheldt in 1905.
But in 1912, when the Balkan CRISIS
became acute, the British went one
step further. When Colonel Bridges,
in a conversation with General jung
blut, the chief of the Belgium general
staff, said that England was ready to
strike, that 100000 men were ready
to be landed and that they would land
them as soon as any European con-
flict should break out, General jung
blut protested that for such a step the
permission of Belgium was necessary.
"The cool reply was that the Eng
lish knew it, but thought that, as Bel
GUM was not strong enough alone
to protect herself, England would land
troops anyway. General Jungblut
answered that Belgium felt strong
enough to protect herself, which is in
keeping with her declaration to
France, when she offered to protect
Belgium by five army corps, as re-
ported in the British White Book.
The position of England was there.
fore that, while in 1906 hey had I'll.
ready concerted plans for joint &C.
ton, in 1912 England intended action
in any case, should European con.
f1agration break out.
'Now it must be recoliected that as
early as July %, 1914, Sir Edward
Grey said to Prince Lichnowsky, as
mentioned in his communication TO
Sir E. Goschen: The situation was
very grave. While it was rastlie ted
to the issues at present actually in
volved, We had not thought Of inter-
fering In it. But If Germany became
involved in it and then France the
issue might be so great that it would
involve all European interests, and I
did not wish him to be misled by the
friendly tone of our conversation
which I hoped would continue-into
thinking that we should stand aside"
British White Papers, No. 89.)
Declares Pledges Refused.
| "This was at time when the Bel
gian issue had not been raised at all.
It only came about by Sir Edward
Grey's notes written on July 81.
Thus the British ENHANCEMENT with
France, as evidenced by the British
White Book. prevented England TAX
ing the same attitude in 1914 which
she had taken in 1870, when she made
treaty with France as against The
German invasion of Belgium and with
Germany as against the French
invasion of Belgium. A similar
agreement was suggested by
Prince Lichnowsky to Sir Edward
Grey on August I, 1914, as
reported in the English White Book
No. 1913, when the former asked Sir
Edward Grey whether If Germany
gave a promise not to violate Belgian
neutrality, England would engage to
remain neutral, upon which Grey re-:
piled that he could not say that.
1T is therefore. perfectly evident, in
the first place, that in case of a Ger
man war that was sure to be brought
about by Russia's mobilization
against Germany, England would go
to war against Germany, and it has
been proved that the English assur.
ance to that effect has strengthened
the hands of the Russian war party,
which thereupon got the upper hand
and forced the Russian Tsar into the
war (see report Of Belgian Charge
d'Affaires at st. Petersburg 20 the
Minister of Foreign Affairs at Brus.
sells, July 30.)
Attacks British Motives.
I'm the second place, it is shown
that England meant with or without
Belgium's will, to land her troops in
violation of Belgium's neutrality in
Belgium irrespective of whether Ger
man troops were marching through
Belgium or not, because no such de.
claration had been made in 1912 or
any time there after until August 4
in the German Reichstag. It is furth.
er evident that as soon as Russia
modified Germany would have to
fight Russia as we'll as Frnce and Eng
land and that in such a fight she
would be forced to draw quickly when
r.