As the last of these questions is the most easily disposed of, it may be considered first.

England’s Justification.

England’s justification rests upon the solemn Treaty of 1839, whereby Prussia, France, England, Austria, and Russia “became the guarantors” of the “perpetual neutrality” of Belgium, as reaffirmed by Count Bismarck, then Chancellor of the North German Confederation, on July 22, 1870, and as even more recently reaffirmed in the striking fact disclosed in the Belgian “Gray Book.”

In the Spring of 1913 a debate was in progress in the Budget Committee of the Reichstag with reference to the Military Budget.  In the course of the debate the German Secretary of State said: 

     “The neutrality of Belgium is determined by international
     conventions, and Germany is resolved to respect these
     conventions.”

To confirm this solemn assurance, the Minister of War added in the same debate: 

“Belgium does not play any part in the justification of the German scheme of military reorganization.  The scheme is justified by the position of matters in the East. Germany will not lose sight of the fact that Belgian neutrality is guaranteed by international treaties.”

A year later, on July 31, 1914, Herr von Below, the German Minister at Brussels, assured the Belgian Department of State that he knew of a declaration which the German Chancellor had made in 1911, to the effect “that Germany had no intention of violating our neutrality,” and “that he was certain that the sentiments to which expression was given at that time had not changed.” (See Belgian “Gray Book,” Nos. 11 and 12.)

Apart from these treaty stipulations, which are only declaration of Belgium’s rights as sovereign nations, The Hague Conference, in which forty-four nations (including Germany) participated, reaffirmed as an axiom of international law the inherent right of a nation to the sanctity of its territory.

It seems unnecessary to discuss the wanton disregard of these solemn obligations and protestations, when the present Chancellor of the German Empire, in his speech to the Reichstag and to the world on Aug. 4, 1914, frankly admitted that the action of the German military machine in invading Belgium was a wrong.  He said: 

“We are now in a state of necessity, and necessity knows no law.  Our troops have occupied Luxemburg and perhaps are already on Belgian soil. Gentlemen, that is contrary to the dictates of international law. It is true that the French Government has declared at Brussels that France is willing to respect the neutrality of Belgium, so long as her opponent respects it.  We knew, however, that France stood ready for invasion.  France could wait, but we could not wait.  A French movement upon our flank upon the lower Rhine might have been disastrous.  So we were compelled to override the just protest