To the request of Sir William Goschen, the English Ambassador in Berlin,
to be allowed to know if Germany would pledge herself to respect the
neutrality of Belgium, the German Secretary of State replied that "this
neutrality had already been violated by Germany." Herr von Jagow went
again into the
reasons why the Imperial Government had been obliged to take this
step, namely, that they had to advance into France by the quickest
and easiest way so as to be able to get well ahead with their
operations and endeavor to strike some decisive blow as early as
possible. It was a matter of life and death to them, for, if they
had gone by the more southern route, they could not have hoped, in
view of the paucity of the roads and the strength of the
fortresses, to have got through without formidable opposition
entailing great loss of time. This loss of time would mean time
gained by the Russians for the bringing up of their troops to the
German frontier. Rapidity of action was the great German asset,
while that of Russia was the inexhaustible supply of troops.
[Official Report of the British Ambassador in Berlin to the British
Government.]
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