: Maitre Gaston de Leval, legal adviser to the American
Legation in Brussels]

For several minutes after the Queen withdrew the cheering continued.
Suddenly a tense silence fell upon the room. M. de Broqueville, the
Prime Minister, had mounted the tribune and stood waiting for attention.
He was clearly under great stress of emotion, and as the House settled
itself to hear him he brushed away the tears that had started to his
eyes. He began in a very direct way by saying that he would limit
himself to reading a few documents and hoped that, after hearing them,
the House would consider the Government worthy of the confidence that
had been reposed in it and that immediate action would be taken upon
matters of urgent importance. He first read the German ultimatum,[1]
which was received quietly but with indignation and anger which was with
difficulty suppressed. Without commenting upon the German note, he then
read the reply which had been handed to the German Minister.[2]
This was followed by a final note delivered by the German Minister this
morning stating "that in view of the refusal of the King to accede to
the well-intentioned proposals of the Emperor, the Imperial Government,
greatly to its regret, was obliged to carry out by force of arms the
measures indispensable to its security." After reading these documents
he made a short and ringing speech, full of fire, which was repeatedly
interrupted by cheers. When he came down from the tribune he was
surrounded by cheering Senators and Deputies struggling to shake his
hand and express their approval of his speech. Even the Socialists who
had fought him for years rose to the occasion and vied with their
colleagues in their demonstrations of enthusiasm. Broqueville rose again
and said: "In the present crisis we have received from the opposition a
whole-hearted support; they have rallied to our side in the most
impressive way in preparing the reply to Germany. In order to emphasise
this union of all factions, His Majesty the King has just signed a
decree appointing Monsieur Vandervelde as a Minister of State." This
announcement was greeted by roars of applause from all parts of the
House, and Vandervelde was immediately surrounded by Ministers and
Deputies anxious to congratulate him. His reply to the Prime Minister's
speech was merely a shout above the roar of applause: "I accept."

[Footnote 1: The following is the text of the German ultimatum: