Widnes Examiner. — 1914-08-08 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

FOR LIBERTY AND HONOUR. A week ago there were many in this land who thought that a position of British neutrality in the European War would best accord with our interests and the ultimate good of humanity.; to-day there is not a nran or woman in the whole Empire but will vehemently declare for war to the bitter end against that man of blood, the GERMAN EMPEROR, and the system under which he is allowed to breed despotism and plot the murder of innocent peoples. Let it be clearly understood that we have no quarrel with the people of Germany. They are, we know, a progressive, scientific race; they are, we believe, in the bulk, a peace-loving. people. We had hoped to have them as colleagues in the march of civilisation towards that goal, the attainment of which all sane men desire—the time when the game of war shall have succumbed to the arts of peace. But we are to be estranged by the mad act of an insane ruler—so mad that, as Mr. BONAR LAW finely put it, he is attempting to play Napoleonism upon Europa, without a Napoleon. We, fear greatly that he has sold his people ; he tried to buy us, but he failed, as lie was bound to fail. Anyone not blindedty a selfadoring spirit such as the world his rarely known could have seen that his schemes were bound to fail ; at any rate, that scheme would not have been so arrogantly and shamelessly put forth for all decent men to scoff at by anyone in his senses. SIR EDWARD GREY must have been in a trying position. Being in possession of the most unscrupulous correspondence that the histories of the nations can show, he was pressed hard on the side of peace—a peace he knew he dare riot countenance. The White Paper, published this week, not only justifie;• his actions, step by step, but proves that he would have been utterly unworthy to call himself a British statesman had he not stood firm. Our regard for the honour and the fair fame of ' this country ranks before our fear of war, and its horrible possibilities ; but there is the question of national. safety involved here as well. When Mr. ASQUITH asked for supplies of men and money he was able to say that we were going into the fight with a clear conscience. He reviewed the events which led up to our declaration of war against Germany, and summarised the proposals made to us as Germany's infamous proposal." That proposal, he said, with a fire that is seldom seen in the Commons, would have meant that behind the back of Prance we should havp given free licence to Germany to annex the whole of the French colonies, and that we should have bartered away to the Power that was threatening Belgium our obligation to keep our plighted word. Britain had been forced into the war, and was fighting to fulfil a solemn international obligation and to vindicate the principle that small nationalities were not to be crushed in defiance of international good faith by the arbitrary will of a strong and overmastering Power. He incidentally ,asked what we ourselves nihi exptet izoir the promise pf a •   0, ',.,,', .1 V. • . k;''i. ~.'' . . ',lk.-'.,.; 4,;;:1..1.-:',... i..-Y4,, .:ik,k; i)., , 0 . .., ! . lt;r, ‘ ,:...i: , . 't,„; 44f, ~` 1.,:-,,,,... i'V, '.....- • 4.....,. ".,... + t.....,,,,. 1," • ~,...,. . ~,jl-i-7.4::,,,,,...v‘5- ',. - - ' -.-- • , . ,- 4 6-,t-vt.41.0, ,