4, 1914, when the
Imperial Chancellor admitted that the presence of German troops in
Belgium was "contrary to international law."
This he stated in the Reichstag. "I speak openly," he had said. That
same evening he is reported to have exclaimed to the British Ambassador
that "just for a word--'neutrality,' a word which in war time had so
often been disregarded--just for a scrap of paper Great Britain was
going to make war on a kindred nation who desired nothing better than to
be friends with her."
There can be no doubt that Germany realized just what she was doing when
she marched her troops into Belgium. The question is, had she any
preconceived idea of such a march?
In the southwest corner of Prussia is a rectangular piece of territory,
the western and eastern sides of which are formed respectively by the
Belgian and Luxemburg frontiers and the River Rhine. This territory
includes about 3,600 square miles, and supports a population including
the great centres of Cologne, Coblence, Aix-la-Chapelle, and Treves, of
nearly 1,000,000 souls. In other words, it is an area about half as
large as New Jersey, if we omit that State's water surface, and just
about as thickly populated.
[Illustration: Map Showing Germany's Plan to Invade Belgium by a
Strategic System of Railways Begun in 1909.]
Five years ago this little corner of Prussia had about 15.
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