--(British "White Paper" No. 99.)
Did Grey really think for one moment that the German Empire would
change its position immediately, in other words, would suddenly leave
its ally in need, or is all this only a mass of diplomatic
blandishments?
On the same day Grey steps from the personal warning which he had given
to the German Ambassador to the sharpest official threat. In a telegram
to the Ambassador in Berlin upon the question placed before him by the
Chancellor of the empire on the day prior, (British "White Paper" No.
85,) whether England would remain neutral if Germany would bind itself,
after possible war, to claim no French territory in Europe whatever,
while in lieu of the French colonies a like guarantee could not be
accepted, Grey answers with thundering words:
His Majesty's Government cannot for a moment entertain the
Chancellor's proposal that they should bind themselves to
neutrality on such terms. What he asks us in effect is to engage to
stand by while French colonies are taken and France is beaten, so
long as Germany does not take French territory as distinct from the
colonies. From a material point of view such a proposal is
unacceptable, for France without further territory in Europe being
taken from her could be so crushed as to lose her position as a
great power and become subordinate to German policy.
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