She was eventually compelled to take up arms because,
together with France, Germany, and Austria, she had solemnly pledged
herself to maintain the neutrality of Belgium. As soon as danger to that
neutrality arose she questioned both France and Germany as to their
intentions. France immediately renewed her pledge not to violate Belgian
neutrality; Germany refused to answer, and soon made all answer needless
by her actions. Without even the pretense of a grievance against Belgium
she made war on the weak and unoffending country she had undertaken to
protect, and has since carried out her invasion with a calculated and
ingenious ferocity which has raised questions other and no less grave
than that of the willful disregard of treaties.

When Belgium in her dire need appealed to Great Britain to carry out her
pledge, that country's course was clear. She had either to break faith,
letting the sanctity of treaties and the rights of small nations count
for nothing before the threat of naked force, or she had to fight. She
did not hesitate, and we trust she will not lay down arms till Belgium's
integrity is restored and her wrongs redressed.

The treaty with Belgium made our duty clear, but many of us feel that,
even if Belgium had not been involved, it would have been impossible for
Great Britain to stand aside while France was dragged into war and
destroyed. To permit the ruin of France would be a crime against liberty
and civilization. Even those of us who question the wisdom of a policy
of Continental ententes or alliances refuse to see France struck down by
a foul blow dealt in violation of a treaty.

We observe that various German apologists, official and semi-official,
admit that their country had been false to its pledged word, and dwell
almost with pride on the "frightfulness" of the examples by which it has
sought to spread terror in Belgium, but they excuse all these
proceedings by a strange and novel plea. German culture and civilization
are so superior to those of other nations that all steps taken to assert
them are more than justified, and the destiny of Germany to be the
dominating force in Europe and the world is so manifest that ordinary
rules of morality do not hold in her case, but actions are good or bad
simply as they help or hinder the accomplishment of that destiny.

These views, inculcated upon the present generation of Germans by many
celebrated historians and teachers, seem to us both dangerous and