THE GREAT WAR
Sir, —I hope your correspondents will not mind my suggesting that the invasion of Belgium was neither the im-
mediate nor the indirect cause of the Great War. As Sir Edward Grey admitted on August 3, 1914, Britain was tied to France by secret military and naval commitments, known to only three members of Cabinet, which made Britain’s entry inevitable. Because of the Franco-Russian alliance, Britain would be at war as soon as Russia was involved. Grey refused to give an undertaking to remain neutral if Germany did not violate Belgian neutrality and also refused to help to secure French neutrality in a Russo-German conflict. The invasion of Belgium gave the opportunity for whipping up public opinion ana apparently kept Lloyd George in the Cabinet when he intended to resign in opposition to the war. Of course, two senior Cabinet Ministers—Lord Morley and John Burns—did resign on this issue—Yours, etc., s L. A. EFFORD. August 11, 1954.
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Press, Volume XC, Issue 27426, 12 August 1954, Page 7
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160THE GREAT WAR Press, Volume XC, Issue 27426, 12 August 1954, Page 7
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