r
plan of the Belgian General Staff, in which the measures to be taken in
case of the violation of Belgian neutrality by Germany are discussed.
Baron Greindl pointed out that this plan dealt only with the precautions
to be taken in the event of an aggression on the part of Germany, while,
owing to its geographical situation, Belgium might just as well be
exposed to an attack by France and England. The North-German Gazette
draws from this discovery the strange conclusion that England intended
to drag Belgium into the war, and at one time contemplated the violation
of Dutch neutrality.

We have only one regret to express on the subject of the disclosure of
these documents, and that is that the publication of our military
documents should be mangled and arranged in such a way as to give the
reader the impression of duplicity on the part of England and adhesion
by Belgium, in violation of her duties as a neutral State, to the policy
of the Triple Entente. We ask the North-German Gazette to publish in
full the result of its search among our secret documents. Therein will
be found fresh and striking proof of the loyalty, correctness, and
impartiality with which Belgium for 81 years has discharged her
international obligations.

It was stated that Col. Barnardiston, the military representative at
Brussels of a power guaranteeing the neutrality of Belgium, at the time
of the Algeciras crisis, questioned the Chief of the Belgian General
Staff as to the measures which he had taken to prevent any violation of
that neutrality. The Chief of the General Staff, at that time Lieut.
Gen. Ducarne, replied that Belgium was ready to repel any invader. Did
the conversation extend beyond these limits, and did Col. Barnardiston,
in an interview of a private and confidential nature, disclose to Gen.
Ducarne the plan of campaign which the British General Staff would have
desired to follow if that neutrality were violated? We doubt it, but in
any case we can solemnly assert, and it will be impossible to prove the
contrary, that never has the King or his Government been invited, either
directly or indirectly, to join the Triple Entente in the event of a
Franco-German war. By their words and by their acts they have always
shown such a firm attitude that any supposition that they could have
departed from the strictest neutrality is eliminated a priori.

As for Baron Greindl's dispatch of Dec. 23, 1911, it dealt with a plan
for the defense of Lux