accession to
office had tumbled down like a house of cards. What we had
done was unthinkable; it was like striking a man from behind
while he was fighting for his life against two assailants.
He held Great Britain responsible for all the terrible
events that might happen. I protested strongly against that
statement, and said that, in the same way as he and Herr von
Jagow wished me to understand that for strategical reasons
it was a matter of life and death to Germany to advance
through Belgium and violate the latter's neutrality, _so I
would wish him to understand that it was, so to speak, a
matter of "life and death" for the honor of Great Britain
that she should keep her solemn engagement to do her utmost
to defend Belgium's neutrality if attacked_. That solemn
compact simply had to be kept, or what confidence could any
one have in engagements given by Great Britain in the
future? The Chancellor said, "But at what price will that
compact have been kept. Has the British Government thought
of that?" I hinted to his Excellency as plainly as I could
that fear of consequences could hardly be regarded as an
excuse for breaking solemn engagements, but his Excellency
was so excited, so evidently overcome by the news of our
action, and so little disposed to hear reason, that I
refrained from adding fuel to the flame by further
argument....[94]

[Footnote 94: British _White Paper_, No. 160.]

Here again it is most significant, in view of the subsequent clumsily
framed defense by German apologists, to note that the German Secretary
of State, Herr von Jagow, and his superior, the German Chancellor, did
not pretend to suggest that the invasion of Belgium was due to any
overt act of France.

With even greater frankness von Jagow stated the real purpose, which
was, "to advance into France by the quickest and easiest way," and to
"avoid the more Southern route," which, "in view of the paucity of
roads and the strength of the fortresses," would have entailed "great
loss of time."

The damning conclusion as to the guilt of Germany, which irresistibly
follows from these admitted facts, is sought to be overborne by a
pamphlet entitled "_The Truth about Germany_," and subscribed to by a
number of distinguished Germans, who are in turn vouched for in
America by Professor John W. Burgess of Columbia College. He tel