A Journal From Our Legation in Belgium | Page 7

devotion than the Socialists.
After he had gone the Queen rose, bowed shyly to the assembly, and withdrew with the royal children. She was given a rousing ovation as everybody realised the difficulty of her position and was doubly anxious to show her all their confidence and affection. The whole occasion was moving, but when the little Queen acknowledged the ovation so shyly and so sadly and withdrew, the tears were pretty near the surface--my surface at any rate.
[Illustration: Facsimile of the first page of the German ultimatum to Belgium.
Kaiserlich Br��ssel, den 2. August 1914 Deutsche Gesandtschaft in Belgien Tr��s confidentiel.
Der Kaiserlicher Regierung liegen zuverl?ssige Nachrichten vor ueber den beabsichtigten Aufmarsch franz?sischer Streitkr?fte an der Maas-Strecke Givet-Namur. Sie lassen keinen Zweifel ueber die Absicht Frankreichs, durch belgisches Gebiet gegen Deutschland vorzugehen.
Die Kaiserliche Regierung kann sich der Besorgniss nicht erwehren, da? Belgien, trotz besten Willens, nicht im St?nde sein wird, ohne Hilfe einen franz?sischen Vormarsch mit so gro?er Aussicht auf Erfolg abzuwehren, da? darin eine ausreichende Sicherheit gegen die Bedrohung Deutschlands gefunden werden kann. Es ist ein Gebot der Selbsterhaltung f��r Deutschland, dem feindlichen Angriff zuvorzukommen. Mit dem gr??ten Bedauerns w��rde es daher die deutsche Regierung erf��llen, wenn Belgien einen Akt der Feindseligkeit]
[Illustration: Pass issued by the Belgian military authorities to enable Mr. Gibson to enter the German Legation at Brussels]
[Illustration: Ma?tre Gaston de Leval, legal adviser to the American Legation in Brussels]
For several minutes after the Queen withdrew the cheering continued. Suddenly a tense silence fell upon the room. M. de Broqueville, the Prime Minister, had mounted the tribune and stood waiting for attention. He was clearly under great stress of emotion, and as the House settled itself to hear him he brushed away the tears that had started to his eyes. He began in a very direct way by saying that he would limit himself to reading a few documents and hoped that, after hearing them, the House would consider the Government worthy of the confidence that had been reposed in it and that immediate action would be taken upon matters of urgent importance. He first read the German ultimatum,[1] which was received quietly but with indignation and anger which was with difficulty suppressed. Without commenting upon the German note, he then read the reply which had been handed to the German Minister.[2] This was followed by a final note delivered by the German Minister this morning stating "that in view of the refusal of the King to accede to the well-intentioned proposals of the Emperor, the Imperial Government, greatly to its regret, was obliged to carry out by force of arms the measures indispensable to its security." After reading these documents he made a short and ringing speech, full of fire, which was repeatedly interrupted by cheers. When he came down from the tribune he was surrounded by cheering Senators and Deputies struggling to shake his hand and express their approval of his speech. Even the Socialists who had fought him for years rose to the occasion and vied with their colleagues in their demonstrations of enthusiasm. Broqueville rose again and said: "In the present crisis we have received from the opposition a whole-hearted support; they have rallied to our side in the most impressive way in preparing the reply to Germany. In order to emphasise this union of all factions, His Majesty the King has just signed a decree appointing Monsieur Vandervelde as a Minister of State." This announcement was greeted by roars of applause from all parts of the House, and Vandervelde was immediately surrounded by Ministers and Deputies anxious to congratulate him. His reply to the Prime Minister's speech was merely a shout above the roar of applause: "I accept."
[Footnote 1: The following is the text of the German ultimatum:
BRUSSELS, August 2, 1914.
VERY CONFIDENTIAL.
Reliable information has been received by the German Government to the effect that French forces intend to march on the line of the Meuse by G?vet and Namur. This information leaves no doubt as to the intention of France to march through Belgian territory against Germany.
The German Government cannot but fear that Belgium, in spite of the utmost goodwill, will be unable, without assistance, to repel so considerable a French invasion with sufficient prospect of success to afford an adequate guarantee against danger to Germany. It is essential for the self-defence of Germany that she should anticipate any such hostile attack. The German Government would, however, feel the deepest regret if Belgium regarded as an act of hostility against herself the fact that the measures of Germany's opponents force Germany, for her own protection, to enter Belgian territory.
In order to exclude any possibility of misunderstanding, the German Government make the following declaration:
1. Germany has in view no act of hostility against Belgium. In the event of Belgium being prepared in the coming war