Part 25 (1/2)
”Even before he could a.s.sume that Belgian neutrality was in danger, he pledged English policy to the wishes of France. On the afternoon of the same August 1st, he gave the French Amba.s.sador--who was anxiously pressing for a decision--reason to believe that he would be able to give a formal promise on the following day. At the Cabinet meeting on August 2nd--the same in which he suppressed Germany's offer!--he got a motion accepted empowering him to a.s.sure Cambon that if Germany attacked the French coast, England would intervene.”
It is necessary to return to Germany's proposal in regard to Belgian neutrality. In simple language it means that Germany wanted to sell her pledged word, given in 1839, for British neutrality in 1914. In view of the fact that Professor Oncken looked upon this as a legitimate bargain, one wonders in silence at his standard of morality and honour. Is he not a scoundrel who first gives his word of honour and afterwards tries to strike a bargain with the same? Stripped of all verbiage that is Germany's proposal in its naked immorality, and the author chronicles with pleasure that the House of Commons cried down even its discussion.
It recalls to his memory the fact, that the Reichstag--Germany's highest legislative a.s.sembly--cheered to the echo Bethmann-Hollweg's announcement that German armies, in violating the dictates of moral and international law, by breaking Germany's word of honour, had occupied Luxembourg and entered Belgium. The two incidents are drastic, concrete ill.u.s.trations of the gulf which separates British and German conceptions of right and wrong.
Furthermore, there are two questions of a disciplinary nature arising out of this incident which ”the man in the street” has a perfect right to raise. a.s.suming that Sir Edward Grey exercised his discretion and concealed the ”infamous proposal” from the Cabinet, which of his colleagues afterwards betrayed the fact and from what source--German or English--did he obtain his information?
Full knowledge on these points would probably be of great a.s.sistance in destroying the ”trail of the serpent” (_i.e._, German influence and intrigues) in the political and national life of Great Britain.
Professor Oncken praises German disinterestedness in offering to guarantee the integrity of French continental and colonial territories in case Germany gained a victory in the war. Sir Edward Grey's refusal to guarantee British neutrality in return for this promise, the professor considers supreme and final proof that Britain was bent on war. The nation has rightly approved of this policy and the point need not be argued in this place; but Professor Oncken in the seclusion of his German study would do well to weigh two problems:
If Germany had gained a victory--and in August, 1914, she was absolutely convinced that France and Russia would succ.u.mb if they faced her alone--then Germany would have obtained the long sought upper and ”free hand” in Europe. What earthly powers could have compelled her in that moment to respect her promise in regard to French territories? Certainly Germany's sense of honour could not be counted upon to do so.
The second problem refers to the bull and the china-shop. Presuming that the bull could talk, would Professor Oncken advise the guardian of the proverbial china-shop to accept the bull's promise to respect the _status quo ante_ of his property, before letting him (the bull) run amock amongst the china?
Lastly, readers are advised when studying the German ”case” to remember that Germany never offered to respect the integrity of French territories _and_, the neutrality of Belgium. Although German writers--with malice aforethought--seek to give that impression. Yet, had this combined offer been made, the author submits that in spite of such a promise, it would still have been ruinous to British interests to stand aside and see Germany gain the upper and ”free hand” in Europe.
Having obtained that, all else would have followed to the desire of Germany's heart.
CHAPTER XII
THE LITERATURE OF HATE
”The English are wretched scoundrels.”--_Frederick the Great_.
”It must come to this, that not even a German dog will accept a piece of bread from an Englishman.”--_Heinrich von Treitschke_.
”England, the Vampire of Europe,” by Count Reventlow.
”Down with England,” by Admiral Valois.
”England, our Enemy in the Past, Present and Future,” by Erich von Kabler.
”A German Victory, Ireland's Hope,” by Dr. Hans Rost.
”England, the Scourge of Humanity,” by Germanicus.
”The Poisonous Press,” by Germanicus.
”England against England,” by Mathieu Schwann.
”A Woman's War Letters,” by L. Niessen-Deiters.
”Albion's Death Struggle,” by Eugen Detmolder.[208]
[Footnote 208: Written by Detmolder (a Belgian) during the Boer War.--Author.]
”How John Bull recruits his Hirelings,” by Dr. Herbert Hirschberg.