The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-02

by another offer to Germany, in which he declared that if Austria | and Germany would make any reason able proposal to France and Russia which was unreasonably rejected 1 England would have nothing to do l with the consequences. England at the same time asked if France and Germany intended to respect Bel gium neutrality. France replied iD the affirmative. Germany, Tn reply to Sir Edward Grey, rejected all the con- ciliatory proposals of Russia and an swered, in respect to the guarantee of Belgian neutrality, that it was not
 in a position to reply" This state ment brought forth a strong warning from Grey that England might be involved in a general war if France were attacked and that the violation of Belgian neutrality would probably excite popular opinion in England to such an extent that England would intervene. Whether Belgian neutra1i- ty were violated or not, however, the note added, no assurance of English neutrality could be made.
 Germany Sends Ultimatum
 On the evening of the same day an ultimatum went from Germany to France asking that France tell in twelve hours whether 1t would remain neutral in a Russo German conflict or not. On August 1 Germany declared war on Russia giving as cause the Rus sian mobilization. At 1 P. M. on the same day the French premier gave a non-committal reply to the German ultimatum and at P. M. the 'mobfl- iZatiOn of the French army was or dered. Germany in declaring war on Russia had accused Russian troops of crossing the border and had made the same accusation against the Fench The German army, in fact, however was the only army ready for the ap- preaching conflict, anG even on Aug | ust l these armies were being rapidly 1 prepared for the invasion of France. | The military plan of Germany was | to strike and crush France first and | turn upon Russia after the French | army had been disposed of In accor- 1 dance with this plan Austria was to send it's armies against Russia, while | the full force of Germany was sent l against France.
 | On the next day the German troops | had crossed the frontier at Luxem- l burg in direct violation of the neu- | trality of that country. The excuse | given was that the railways leased | by Germany must be secured. Luxem- | burg protested vigorously against this violation of it's neutrality, but its voice was not needed.
 l Belgium Faithful to Allies
 ! August an ultimatum to Belgium | was sent by Germany accusing the
 French of an intention of violating l Belgian neutrality and asking Belgium to adopt a "benevolent neutrality" If | Belgium promised submission Ger | many guaranteed the integrity of that | country; otherwise the decision of
 arms" must decide its fate. The Bel gian reply was received the following l morning. It stated that France had | promised to respect Belgian neutral
 ity and that any attempt of the Ger ! man army to cross Belgium would be | resisted with force.
 The crossing of Belgium was essen tial to the success of the German mill l itary plan. The violation of an agree ment, in their minds, would be more l than compensated in the ability that | such a violation would give them to strike the French on a weak flank. | Accordingly they entered Belgium on
 the morning of August at the little 1 town of Gemmenich. and began their march toward the French frontier.
 Belgium protested against this vio-
 lation of the treaty of 1889 to England, | France and Russia. In England on
 that same day an ultimatum had gone
 forth from the Foreign office to Ger-
 many demanding Germany's guaran- tee of Bel gtum's neuttality. This guar 1 antee was refused on the grounds of
 military necessity When the news
 of the actual entry into Belgium terri l tory reached England, Asquith, Pre-
 mier of England, rose and gave the
 answer to the great public indigDa-
 ton by declaring that a state of war
 had existed between Germany and
 England from II P. M. August 4.
 On August 2 German detachm ents
 had crossed the Franco-German from
 tier at Joncherey and had killed a
 French soldier. By August 4 the war
 was on its course; the days of secret
 diplomacy had passed and the days
 of settlement by steel had come. Time
 brought more nations into the war
 until the whole force of the civilized
 world was involved in the struggle
 for supremacy, but the first historic and stirring days in August, 1914. will
 be remembered as the beginning of the greatest war in history.