19 SEPTEMBER 1914, Page 3

On Wednesday Sir Edward Grey issued a statement in answer

to a defence of German policy sent by the German Chancellor to the Danish Press Bureau. Hen• von Bethmann Hollweg asked whether any one believed that England would have intervened to protect Belgian freedom against France. The answer is, of course, that Britain did ask France for a pledge that she would not violate Belgian neutrality, and France gave that pledge. The assurance, as a matter of fact, has been given by France several times. M. Poincare, for instance, gave a guarantee to the King of the Belgians. Britain took the same line as to Belgian neutrality in 1870 that she has taken now. Prince Bismarck in 1870 undertook to respect Belgian neutrality, but the German Government of 1914 refused.