attack had been made; Germany
was on the defensive against two powerful enemies. What would Great
Britain do about it? That was the question. Great Britain asked in
return for its neutrality that the German forces should not enter
Belgium. In other words, it asked that Germany should allow the French
and Belgian troops to form on Belgian territory for a march against our
frontier! This we could not allow. It would have been suicidal. The
German Government made Great Britain, in return for its neutrality, the
following offers: we would not attack the northern coast of France, we
would leave unmolested the maritime commerce of France and would
indemnify Belgium after the war and safeguard its sovereignty and
integrity. In spite of this Great Britain declared war on Germany and
sides today with those Continental powers that have united for our
destruction, in order that Muscovite barbarism may rule Europe. We know
that Germany did not deserve such treatment on the part of Great
Britain, and do not believe that Great Britain by this action did a
service to humanity and civilization.

Today we are facing hard facts. Germany has to fight for her existence.
She will fight knowing that the great powers beyond the ocean will do
her justice as soon as they know the truth.

* * * * *

REICHSTAG AND EMPEROR.

England, France, and Russia, unthreatened by Germany, go to war for
political reasons--Germany defends her independence and fights for her
very existence, for her future as a great power--How a peaceful people
were imbued with the spirit of war.

The last days of the month of July were days of anxiety and distress for
the German people. They hoped that they would be permitted to preserve
an honorable peace. A few months earlier, in 1913, when the centennial
of the war for independence from French oppression and the twenty-fifth
anniversary of Emperor William's ascent of the throne had been
celebrated, they had willingly taken upon their shoulders the great
sacrifice of the so-called "Wehrvorlage," which increased the peace
strength of the standing army enormously and cost 1,000,000,000 marks.
They considered it simply as an increase of their peace insurance
premium. Our diplomats worked hard for the maintenance of peace, for the
localization of the Austro-Servian war. So sure were the leading men of
the empire of the preservation of general peace that at the beginning of
the