while by the customs traditional with all civilized peoples she was
still at peace with France, she has sent her soldiers into Luxemburg,
and invaded the territory of the republic. It is hard to say which of
these acts is the grosser infringement of public right. With Luxemburg
she makes no pretense of quarrel. She is herself a party to the
guarantee of its neutrality contained in the Treaty of 1867. The other
guarantors are Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Austria-Hungary,
Belgium, and the Netherlands. She solemnly pledged herself with some of
them, including France and ourselves, to respect this neutrality. The
world sees how Germany keeps her word. She has been weak enough, or
cynical enough, to issue an explanation of her breach of faith. Let
Englishmen, who have been disposed to trust her, judge it for
themselves. She has not, she says, committed a hostile act by crossing
the frontiers, by forcibly seizing the Government offices, and by
forcibly interrupting the telephonic communication. These are merely
measures to protect the railways from a possible attack by the French.
For the sudden invasion of France no excuse has yet been published. When
it comes it will doubtless be of about equal worth.

The whole situation has been revolutionized by the events of yesterday.
The doubts which many of us tried hard to cherish as to Germany's real
intentions have been dispelled by her high-handed contempt for public
law. The Government and the nation now realize that she has been bent on
a European war--a European war to be waged in the first instance against
France, and through at least one of those neutral States whose safety we
have bound ourselves to defend because it is indispensable to our own.
The Cabinet, which has been sitting almost uninterruptedly since
Saturday morning, reached a decision at an early hour yesterday, which
shows that they know what is before us. They have called up the Naval
Reserves. They would not have taken this step had they not felt that in
this quarrel our interests are now directly at stake. After the example
of what Germany has done in Luxemburg and on the French border we can no
longer rely upon the presence of her Ambassador as a security against
some sudden surprise. We have no controversy with her, it is true. We
have been willing and anxious to develop those better relations with her
which had of late sprung up. We were eager to work with her for
mediation and for peace. Now she