The second charge is contained in No. 157 of the English “White Paper” in these words of instruction from the German Foreign Secretary to the German Ambassador in London:  “Please impress upon Sir Edward Grey that German Army could not be exposed to French attack across Belgium, which was planned according to absolutely unimpeachable information.”

Sir Edward Grey has attacked Germany for invading Belgium, but has nowhere denied that Germany had the unimpeachable evidence she said she had, and which of course nullified any previous assurance from France.

It is not known whether Sir Edward Grey was shown this evidence or not, but if the preservation of Belgian neutrality was Great Britain’s chief concern, why did she not offer to negotiate treaties with Germany and France as she had done in 1870?  It will be remembered that then she bound herself to join with either of the contestants in defending Belgian neutrality against the attacks of the other.

As the case stands today, on the evidence of Sir Edward Grey’s own “White Paper” and speeches, Great Britain is making war on Germany because: 

1.  She broke the Treaty of 1839, although her own Gladstone had declared this treaty to be without force, and although the status of neutral States had been removed by The Hague Convention from the uncertainty of treaties to the security of international law.

2.  Great Britain makes war against Germany because Germany has broken Articles I. and II. of Chapter 1 of The Hague Convention referring to neutrals, although Great Britain herself has refused to recognize these articles as binding upon her own conduct.

3.  She makes war on Germany although she has never denied the correctness of Germany’s assertion that she had unimpeachable proof of France’s intentions of going through Belgium, which, together with the sojourn of French officers in Belgium, constitutes the offense which, according to The Hague Convention, deprives a so-called neutral State of the privileges granted in Articles I. and II.

It is impossible to say here exactly what these proofs are which Germany possesses, and which for military reasons she has not yet been able to divulge.  She has published some of them, namely, the proof of the continued presence of French officers on Belgian soil, and has given the names and numbers of the several army corps which France had planned to push through Belgium.

The case then stands as follows: 

1.  Was the inviolability of Belgium guaranteed by Articles I. and II. of The Hague Convention?  Yes.

2.  Had Germany ratified these articles?  Yes.

3.  Had Great Britain ratified these articles?  No.

4.  Would Belgium have forfeited the right of having her country held inviolable if she had committed “acts in favor of France,” even if these acts were not actually hostile acts?  Yes, according to Article XVII. of The Hague Convention.