155 of the British "White Paper," the British Envoy in
Brussels to inform the "Belgian Government that if pressure is applied
to them by Germany to induce them to depart from neutrality, his
Majesty's Government expects that they will resist by any means in their
power."
It is plain enough that Great Britain was not thinking so much of
protecting Belgium as of Belgium protecting her, until she could prepare
to attack Germany in concert with Russia and France. She was willing to
let Belgium, yea almost to command Belgium, to take the fearful risk of
complete destruction in order that she might gain a little time in
perfecting the co-operation of Russia and France with herself for the
crushing of Germany, and in order to hold the public opinion of neutral
powers, especially of the United States of America, in leash under the
chivalrous issue of protecting a weaker country, which she has done
little or nothing to protect, but which she could have effectively
protected by simply remaining neutral herself.
We Americans have been greatly confused in mind in regard to the issues
of this war. We have confounded causes and occasions and purposes and
incidents until it has become almost impossible for any considerable
number of us to form a sound and correct judgment in regard to it.
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