ake war on a kindred nation. At what price would that
compact [neutrality] have been kept? Has the British Government
thought of that?

Sir William Goschen replied, that fear of consequences would hardly be
regarded as an excuse for breaking a solemn engagement. [Official report
of the British Ambassador in Berlin to his Government.]

It is very clear from these documents that Germany had for a long time
premeditated the violation of the neutrality of Belgium and that she has
even reconciled herself to the terrible danger of war with Great
Britain, rather than renounce the advantages she thought she would gain
by not respecting the treaty. In the face of these confessions the
allegations that France wished to violate the neutrality of Belgium, an
allegation supported by no proof, falls to the ground.

To continue the analysis of the German note:

If Belgium consents to assume in the war which is about to commence
the attitude of friendly neutrality toward Germany, the German
Government, on its side, engages, when peace is restored, to
guarantee the integrity of the kingdom and its possessions.

Could Belgium, without being false to her duties of neutrality, take up
the position which the German Government calls "friendly neutrality"?
That is to say, could she allow the German armies to pass without
opposition through her territory? Can the German Government itself
answer that question?

It is enough to reread the conversation given above between the British
Ambassador and the German Secretary of State to come to a clear
conclusion in that respect. If the violation of Belgian territory was to
procure so signal an advantage to Germany that she had no fear of
bringing on war with England to attain it, then for Belgium to lend
herself to the passage of German troops must have meant the certainty of
fatal consequences for France. Thus for Belgium to have yielded to the
German ultimatum would _ipso facto_ have conferred a considerable
advantage to Germany, to the detriment of the other belligerent, and
would have constituted a breach of neutrality.

Germany concludes her note by threats. She engages, on the condition
already defined, to evacuate Belgian territory at the conclusion of
peace. If Belgium behaves in a hostile manner [_that is to say, if she
does her duty_] Germany will be obliged to consider Belgium as an enemy.
She would then leave the ultimate arrangements of the relations o