, and it was returned to Germany as a matter of
right, more than three-quarters of the population being of German
descent and speaking the German language.
But let me ask in return, Mr. Eliot, when did ever in her political
career England consult the will of the people when she took a country?
Can he say that, when England tore the treaty of Majuba Hill, like a
"scrap of paper," and made war on the Boers? Did she consult the people
of Cyprus in 1878? Does he know of any plebiscite in India? Has she
consulted the Persians, or has France consulted the people of Morocco,
or of Indo-China, Italy the people of Tripoli? Since Germany has not
acted here in any other way forty years ago than all the other nations,
why does Dr. Eliot consider the American people justified in taking
anti-German views for reasons of such an old date, while he forgives the
nations of the party he favors for much more recent infringement of his
rule?
"Americans object to the violation of treaties." So do the Germans. We
have always kept our treaties, and mean to do so in the future. The fact
with Belgium is that her neutrality was very one-sided; that, as can be
proved, as early as the 25th of June, Liege was full of French soldiers,
that Belgian fortifications were all directed against Germany, and that
for years past it was the Belgian press that outdid the French press in
attacks against Germany.
Pages:
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243