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 made the occupation of Belgium an absolute military necessity to the safety of the German armies advancing against France.  Otherwise they would, so far as the wit of man could divine, have left their right flank exposed to the advance of a British army through Belgium, and there certainly was no German commander so absolutely bereft of all military knowledge or instinct as to have committed so patent an error.