under an embargo
already." The date of this dispatch is July 31, days before the Germans
entered Belgium.

But placing these two things entirely aside, as well as the new
evidence, said to have just been found in the archives at Brussels, that
Belgium had by her agreements with Great Britain forfeited every claim
to even ordinary neutrality in case of a war between Germany and Great
Britain, I find in the British "White Paper" itself, No. 123, not only
ample justification, but absolute necessity, from a military point of
view, for a German army advancing against France, not only to pass
through Belgium, but to occupy Belgium. This number of the "White Paper"
is a communication dated Aug. 1 from Sir Edward Grey to Sir E. Goschen,
British Ambassador in Berlin. In it Sir Edward Grey informed Sir E.
Goschen that the German Ambassador in London asked him "whether, if
Germany gave a promise not to violate Belgian neutrality, we, Great
Britain, would remain neutral," and that he [Grey] replied that he
"could not say that," that he did not think Great Britain "could give a
promise of neutrality on that condition alone"; further, Sir Edward Grey
says: "The Ambassador pressed me as to whether I could not formulate
conditions on which we would remain neutral. He even suggested that the
integrity of France and her colonies might be guaranteed. I said that I
felt obliged to refuse definitely any promise to remain neutral on
similar terms, and I could only say that we must keep our hands free."

The Necessary Invasions.

After this Sir Edward Grey declared in Parliament, according to
newspaper reports, that Great Britain stood, as to Belgian neutrality,
on the same ground as in 1870. With all due respect, I cannot so
understand it. In 1870 Great Britain remained neutral in a war between
the North German Union and France, and, with the North German Union,
guaranteed Belgium against invasion by France, and, with France,
guaranteed Belgium against invasion by the North German Union. On Aug.
1, 1914, the German Empire asked Great Britain to do virtually the same
thing, and Great Britain refused. It is, therefore, Germany who stood in
1914 on the same ground, with regard to Belgium neutrality, as she did
in 1870, and it is Great Britain who shifted her position and virtually
gave notice that she herself would become a belligerent. It was this
notice served by Sir Edward Grey on the German Ambassador in London on
Aug. 1, 1914, which m