The Germans have stated that we contemplated sending troops to
Belgium. We had never committed ourselves at all to the
sending of troops to the Continent, and we had never
contemplated the possibility of sending troops to Belgium to
attack Germany.
The Germans have stated that British military stores had been
placed at Maubeuge, a French fortress near the Belgian
frontier, before the outbreak of the war, and that this is
evidence of an intention to attack Germany through Belgium. No
British soldiers and no British stores were landed on the
Continent till after Germany had invaded Belgium and Belgium
had appealed to France and England for assistance. It was only
after this appeal that British troops were sent to France;
and, if the Germans found British munitions of war in
Maubeuge, these munitions were sent with our expedition to
France after the outbreak of the war. The idea of violating
the neutrality of Belgium was never discussed or contemplated
by the British Government.
The extract inclosed, which is taken from an official
publication of the Belgian Government, and the extract from an
official statement by the Belgian Minister of War, prove that
the Belgian Government had never connived, or been willing to
connive, at the breach of the treaty that made the maintenance
of Belgian neutrality an international obligation.
Pages:
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419