_"
A year later, on July 31, 1914, Herr von Below, the German Minister at
Brussels, assured the Belgian Department of State that he knew of a
declaration which the German Chancellor had made in 1911, to the effect
"that Germany had no intention of violating our neutrality," and "that
he was certain that the sentiments to which expression was given at that
time _had not changed_." (See Belgian "Gray Book," Nos. 11 and 12.)
Apart from these treaty stipulations, which are only declaration of
Belgium's rights as sovereign nations, The Hague Conference, in which
forty-four nations (including Germany) participated, reaffirmed as an
axiom of international law the inherent right of a nation to the
sanctity of its territory.
It seems unnecessary to discuss the wanton disregard of these solemn
obligations and protestations, when the present Chancellor of the German
Empire, in his speech to the Reichstag and to the world on Aug. 4, 1914,
frankly admitted that the action of the German military machine in
invading Belgium was a wrong. He said:
"We are now in a state of necessity, and necessity knows no
law.
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