TREATY OBLIGATIONS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 4943, 17 September 1914, Page 4

TREATY OBLIGATIONS.

GERAIAN AIISREPRESENTATION. A STINGING REPLY. Electric Telegraph—Prjss Association. Copyright. Copenhagen, Last Night. Herr von Bethmann Hollweg (.German Chancellory, in a statement in the Press replying to Air Asquith’s speck. said England should have advised Belgium to accept our offer of integrity and an indemnity. “We knew Frances plan was to attack the Rhinelad through Belgium, would England have interferred to protect Belgium against France?” Herr Hollweg does not refer to Germany’s refusal to guarantee Belgium's colonies. London, Last Night. Official.—The Foreign Secretary tonight, in reply to the German Chancellor’s communication in the Danish Press, says England would undoubtedly have interfered to protect Belgium’s freedom against France whether she was prepared to engage to respect the neutrality of Belgium, providing no other Power violated it, and the French Government replied in the affirmative. Sir Edward Grey says the German Chancellor entirely ignores the fact that England took the same line about Belgian neutrality in 18(0 that she had taken now \\hen aproacheid bv England Biarnarck respected Treaty obligations in relation to Belgium. The British Government stands as it stood in 1870 Herr Bethmann Hollweg refused to meet us in 1914 as Prince Bismarck m ?t "J 18(0. The Imperial Chancellor finds it strange that Air .Asquith. in his Guildhall speech, did not mention the neutrality of Scandinavian countries, and suggests that the reason of this omission was some design on England’s part. Sir Edward Grey says it is i.nnossihle lor any public speaker to rover tlie whole ground. The German Chancellor s reference to Denmark and other Scandinavian countries is hardly considered tactful. Reg.ndig Denmark, the Danes are not likelv to have forgotten the parts placed It 1 russia and England respectively when the kingdom of Denmark was dismembered, and the integ-itv or Norway and Sweden was guviiroi hr England and France ’n the Troatv of Stockholm in 1855. Ike Imperial Chancellor referred to the dealings of Great Britain with the Boer Repub lies, and suggested that .no had bee r . false therein to the cause of freedom. Without going into centre e.'.-.e- ,--w happily passed, Sir Edward Grey s»is he may recall what Air Botha said in the South African Parliament a few duys ago, expressing conviction m the righteousness of Britain's cause and explaining the linn resolve of the South African Union to .aid her in every possible way. Air Botha said Great Britain had given them a Constitution under which they could create a greet nationality and had even since regarded them as a fro© people and a sister State. Although there may be many who in the pit had broil hostile towards the Bri tush flag Mr Botha could vouch that, they wouhl ten tunes rather be under the Bnlish than German flag sir Edward Grey added that the German C nancellor was equally unfortunate in Ins references to a Colonial Empire. So far from the British policy having hro.i recklessly egotistic , t had re? suited in a great rally of affection and common interest by all the Bril.sh Dominions and decadencies among which there was not one which uas not aiding Britain t, v soldiers or other contribution, or both Regnidgm,or.;i'lv m th < 'r" f mixed 'the fcieh T T saving X't"" iiavinn countries. Virtue wluVh ,1 fniit t od| y is not only practised m the absence of temptation but fro,,, self, 'm t' n o! ! " U "” I ,itnr >' "dvanta.re. dees ihe S r!" l ' n 'n < a " or, h vauntim- To Ihe ( hnneellor s concluding statement, All, it to the Gonna sword s entrusted the ,, JUV of „ f , 1 f uropean peoples and States. Si, Fd lard Grey says that the treatment of i lgitnn is a sufficient unswro.