t for her neutrality.

"The attack upon her independence with which the German
Government threaten her constitutes a flagrant violation of
international law. No strategic interest justifies such a
violation of law.

"The Belgian Government, if they were to accept the proposals
submitted to them, would sacrifice the honor of the nation and
betray their duty toward Europe.

"Conscious of the part which Belgium has played for more than
eighty years in the civilization of the world, they refuse to
believe that the independence of Belgium can only be preserved at
the price of the violation of her neutrality.

"If this hope is disappointed the Belgian Government are firmly
resolved to repel, by all the means in their power, every attack
upon their rights."

M. Davignon reported this action to the Ministers at St. Petersburg,
Berlin, London, Paris, Vienna, and The Hague. To the same
representatives, except the Minister at The Hague, he reported a
statement made to him by the French Minister at Brussels:

"Although I have received no instructions to make a declaration
from my Government, I feel justified, in view of their well-known
intentions, in saying that if the Belgian Government were to
appeal to the French Government as one of the powers guaranteeing
their neutrality, the French Government would at once respond to
Belgium's appeal; if such an appeal were not made it is probable,
that--unless of course exceptional measures were rendered
necessary in self-defence--the French Government would not
intervene until Belgium had taken some effective measure of
resistance.

"I thanked M. Klobukowski for the support which the French
Government had been good enough to offer us in case of need, and
I informed him that the Belgian Government were making no appeal
at present to the guaranty of the powers, and that they would
decide later what ought to be done."

Count Lalaing, Minister at London, telegraphed to M. Davignon that
Sir Edward Grey, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, had informed him
"that if our neutrality is violated it means war with Germany."

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1914

_Serbia._ On the following day, August 4, 1914, M. Pashitch, Prime
Minister, recalled the legation and consulate from Germany.

_Austria-Hungary._ Ambassador Mensdorff telegraphed from Berlin that
Gr