Evening journal., 1918-05-06
Concerning tho Polish Appropriation

ANMNNAhAhH AhR NAaHA -
Laws.
When recourse is had TO special leg
islstion, TO a measure which / cOncede .
20 be harsh, It's complete success must /
he assured, and the measure must not /
be so weakened that its odium will re-
main while its useful effect will be lost.
Chancellor Won Bulow, Speech in the
prussian Diet, 1907
The nvaslon OF Belgium wrong"
Gentlemen. we are now in a state OF
necessity Of self-preservation Not
wehr) and necessity knows no law our
troops have Occupied Luxembourg and
perhaps have already entered Belgian
territory.
Gentlemen, this is a breach OF inter
national law. 10 is true that the French
government declared at Brussels that
France would respect Belgian neutrality
so long as her adversary respected 1T.
We knew, however that France stood
ready for an invasion. France coufd
wait. we could not. A French attack
on our flank on the lower Rhine might
have been disastrous. 30 We We're
forced TO ignore the rirhlful protests
of the governments Of Luxembourg and
Belgium. The wrong speak openly
the wrong We thereby commit we viii
try 10 make good as soon as our mill
tary aims have been attained
lie who is menaced as we are and is
fighting for his highest possessions can
only consider how he is to hew his way
through (durchhauen
speech Of Chancellor Won Bethmann-
Hoilweg in the Rechstag, August j.,
1915.
Germany Had no Grievance Against
Belgium.
was received this morning Aug
ust a at o'clock by the Minister OF
Foreign Affairs. He said to me: we
have been obliged by absolute necessity
TO address 10 your government the re-
quest Of which you are aware.
Il is only with the utmost anguish ia
mort dams rame) that the Emperor and
The government have seen themselves
Obliged 10 come TO this decision. Foi
me it is the most painful one that
have ever had 90 make. Ter
many has nothing with which TO re
proach Belgium. whose attitude has al
ways been correct
on August 3, was re-
ceived by the Under Secretary or state
Herr Zimmerman expressed to me
with much smotion, his profound re
erets for the cause Of my departure
lie sought no preteXt TO eN
cuse tho violation Of our neutrality
He did not invoke the supposed frenc,
plan OF passins ulloue
Belglum in order TO attack Germany o
the lower Rhine. aii Ie
monstrances he) simply replied ihal III
Department for Foreign Anairs wa
poWerless Since the order ior moDi
ization had been issued
power they who had considered inc li
vasion Of Belgium to be an indispensa
bic operation OF war.
Reports Of Baron BcSers, Belgia
Minister al Berlin, 10 the Belgian Fo'
eign Minister; second Belgian Ora
Book" docs. nos. p 5i, o2
"strategical Reasons" versus scraps
Paper"
I found the Chanoelor'~Ve agitate
His Excelency at once began ma
sncue which lasted for about tweni
minutes. He said that the step take
bv His Naiesty's government was te
rible 10 a degree; just for word
neutrality" a word which in war tin
had so often been dsregarded-iust Il
q SCRAP Of paper Great Britain was g
ING 10 make war on a kindred matte
who desired nothing better than to
friends with her. All his efforts in th
direction had been rendered useless
this last terrible step, and tho poli'
10 which. as ] knew, ne had devOt
himself since his accession to o1lce M
tumbled down like a house or care
What we had done was unthinkable; :;
was like striking a man from behn
while he was fighting FOR bis life again
two assaiants. lie held Great Brita
responsible for all the terrible ever
that might happen. ] protested strone
against that statement and said IN
in the same way as he and Herr y
Jagow wished me to understand N
for strategical reasons 1t was mat
OF life and death 10 Germany to
vance through Belgium and violate
1atter's neutrality, so ! would wish q
10 understand that it was, so to spei
a matter OF life and death" for
honor Of Great Britain that she shol
keep her solemn engagement TO do
utmost to defend Belgium's neutral
II attacked That solemn compact 81
ply had to be kept, or what cOnfdei
could anyone have in engagements 3
en- by Great Britain i'm the future2 I
Chancellor said: But at what price y
that compact have been kept2 Has
British government thought Of tina
J hnted to his Excellency as plainly
could that fear Of consequences co
hardly be regarded as an excuse
breaking solemn engagements, but
Exccllency was so excited, so evider
nvercome by the news OF our act
and so little disposed TO hear rea
lhat / refrained from adding fuel to