le country.

* * * * *

GERMANY AND BELGIUM.

Further Statement by Sir Edward Grey in House of Commons, Aug. 3,
1914.

I want to give the House some information which I have received, and
which was not in my possession when I made my statement this afternoon.
It is information I have received from the Belgian Legation in London,
and is to the following effect:

Germany sent yesterday evening at 7 o'clock a note proposing to
Belgium friendly neutrality, covering free passage on Belgian
territory, and promising maintenance of independence of the kingdom
and possession at the conclusion of peace, and threatening, in case
of refusal, to treat Belgium as an enemy. A time limit of twelve
hours was fixed for the reply. The Belgians have answered that an
attack on their neutrality would be a flagrant violation of the
rights of nations, and that to accept the German proposal would be
to sacrifice the honor of a nation. Conscious of its duty, Belgium
is firmly resolved to repel aggression by all possible means.

Of course, I can only say that the Government are prepared to take into
grave consideration the information which they have received. I make no
further comment upon it.

* * * * *

UNHESITATING SUPPORT.

Statement by Bonar Law, Opposition Leader, in House of Commons, Aug.
3.

The right honorable gentleman has made an appeal for support and it is
necessary that I should say a word or two, but they shall be very few. I
wish to say in the first place that I do not believe there is a single
member in this House who doubts that not only the right honorable
gentleman himself, but the Government which he represents, have done
everything in their power up to the last moment to preserve peace.
[Cheers.] And I think we may be sure that if any other course is taken
it is because it is forced upon them and that they have absolutely no
alternative. [Cheers.] One thing only further I should like to say. The
right honorable gentleman spoke of the bright spot in the picture which
only a day or two ago was a black spot in the political horizon.
Everything that he has said I am sure is true and I should like to say
this further--that if the contingencies which he has not put into words,
but which are in all our minds as possible, arise, then we have already
had indications that there is another br