ged me most strongly, though he said that he did not know the plans of
the German military authorities, not to make the neutrality of Belgium
one of our conditions when I spoke in the House. It was a day of great
pressure, for we had another Cabinet in the morning, and I had no time
to record the conversation, and therefore it does not appear in the
"White Paper"; but it was impossible to withdraw that condition [loud
cheers] without becoming a consenting party to the violation of the
treaty, and subsequently to a German attack on Belgium.

After I spoke in the House we made to the German Government the
communication described in No. 153 in the "White Paper" about the
neutrality of Belgium. Sir Edward Goschen's report of the reply to that
communication had not been received when the "White Paper" was printed
and laid. It will be laid before Parliament to complete the "White
Paper."

I have been asked why I did not refer to No. 123 in the "White Paper"
when I spoke in the House on Aug. 3. If I had referred to suggestions to
us as to conditions of neutrality I must have referred to No. 85, the
proposals made, not personally by the Ambassador, but officially by the
German Chancellor, which were so condemned by the Prime Minister
subsequently, and this would have made the case against the German
Government much stronger than I did make it in my speech. ["Hear,
hear!"] I deliberately refrained from doing that then.

Let me add this about personal suggestions made by the German
Ambassador, as distinct from communications made on behalf of his
Government. He worked for peace; but real authority at Berlin did not
rest with him and others like him, and that is one reason why our
efforts for peace failed. [Loud cheers.]

_Mr. Keir Hardie_--May I ask whether any attempt was made to open up
negotiations with Germany on the basis of suggestions here set forth by
the German Ambassador?

_Sir E. Grey_--The German Ambassador did not make any basis of
suggestions. It was the German Chancellor who made the basis of
suggestions. The German Ambassador, speaking on his own personal
initiative and without authority, asked whether we would formulate
conditions on which we would be neutral. We did go into that question,
and those conditions were stated to the House and made known to the
German Ambassador.

_Mr. Keir Hardie_ [who was received with cries of "Oh!" from all parts
of the House]--May I ask whether the German authorities at Be