answered:

"It is with great sincerity that we thank the Government of the
Republic for the support which it would eventually be able to
offer us, but under present conditions we do not appeal to the
guarantee of the powers. At a later date the Government of the
king will weigh the measures which it may be necessary to take."

Ambassador Paul Cambon telegraphed from London:

"Sir Edward Grey has authorized me to inform you that he was
making explanations to the Commons as to the present attitude of
the British Government, and that the chief of these declarations
would be as follows:

"'In case the German fleet came into the Channel or entered the
North Sea in order to go round the British Isles with the object
of attacking the French coasts or the French navy and of
harassing French merchant shipping, the British fleet would
intervene in order to give to French shipping its complete
protection, in such a way that from that moment Great Britain and
Germany would be in a state of war.'

"Sir Edward Grey explained to me that the mention of an operation
by way of the North Sea implied protection against a
demonstration in the Atlantic Ocean.

"The declaration concerning the intervention of the British fleet
must be considered as binding the British Government. Sir Edward
Grey has assured me of this and has added that the French
Government were thereby authorized to inform the Chambers of
this."

M. Paul Cambon supplemented this by a telegram stating:

"Just as Sir Edward Grey was starting this morning for the
meeting of the Cabinet, my German colleague [Prince Lichnowsky]
came to press him to say that the neutrality of Great Britain did
not depend upon respecting Belgian neutrality. Sir Edward Grey
refused all conversation on this matter.

"The German Ambassador has sent to the press a _communique_
saying that if Great Britain remained neutral Germany would give
up all naval operations and would not make use of the Belgian
coast as a _point d'appui_. My answer is that respecting the
coast is not respecting the neutrality of the territory, and that
the German ultimatum is already a violation of this neutrality."

Later M. Paul Cambon telegraphed:

"Sir Edward Grey has made the statement regarding the
intervention of the British