The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 1914. BRITAIN AND THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 65, 5 August 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 1914. BRITAIN AND THE WAR.

Britain has shown her haiul. Sir Edward Grey has announced that if trm German lleet came into the English Channel and bombarded the French coast and shipping, Britain would give all possible protection to France. He also stated that until the day before, Britain had given no promise of assistance to any Power, more than that of diplomatic support. Britain, lie continued, was not a party to the Franco-Russian Alliance, and therefore was not in the same position as France in respect of going to t'hc assistance of Russia. It may be. that we are not bound by the letter of our understanding with our Allies to extend help in a crisis such as the present, but we arc "by its spirit. If we, however, can keep the Channel free for France we will be rendering her a substantial service. Still, our paTticipa- | tion in the conflict cannot end there. Germany is not likely to accept the dictation of another country as to whore she can operate, any more than we should were we in her place. Germany, we imagine, will regard it as a declaration of war, and no doubt will act accordingly. Britain knows this full well, as is seen by the statement that "her naval mobilisation is now complete and her military mobilisation will be .by to-day. She is not mobilising for nothing. An American message, states that England has actually declared war on Germany, but it lacks confirmation. It may have for its basis the statement I made in the House of Commons by the Foreign Minister. Anyhow, there is little difference between the statement and a declaration of war. The cables arc not very illuminating as to what is going on in the disturbed area. The censor no douEt is hard at work in all the countries affected, and the probabilities are that we will hear little or nothing until some decisive nngagement has been fought on sea or land. Meanwhile active preparations are being made throughout the British colonies to put the defences in order, nothing left to chance. Germany, not content with violating the neutrality of Luxemburg. is attempting to coerce another "neutral'' State, Belgium, into facilitating the movements of her troops againjtthe. French, who, she alleges, are preparing to operate there against her. Belgium 'has replied that France has already given assurances that she would respect Belgium's neutrality, and Belgium had too high a sentiment of her dignity and interests to accede to such a demand. She therefore refused Germany's request, intimating that she is prepared to energetically defend her territory. But Germany will allow nothing to stand in her way in such a crisis as the present. If she wants to attack France through Belgium she will do so, treaty or no treaty. The actual French frontier is considered practically strong, and capable of withstanding any frontal attack. ' Germany's operations near Belgium mav b<> but. a blind, a feint, the real point being lower, perhaps through Switzerland. The Swiss, however, have also been mouilised, and it is unlikely that they will permit foreigners to traverse their

| country if they can help it. Switzerland is mountainous, and the highways naturally lend themselves to effective fortification and defence, and to force their way through such a country would prove a difficult contract even to the Germans. Little or nothing has come through respecting operations on the northern frontiers of Germany and Austria, except that the latter were not troubling about pushing their campaign against Servia, conserving their efforts for the Russians. The Servians have become aggressive, and endeavored to force a river, but were repulsed, if we can believe the Austrian report. Stirring events will no doubt take place yery shortly, "but whether we shall be permitted to read accounts of them depends altogether upon the censor on'toe other side of the world. At present he certainly cannot he accused of giving away any important secret 3 or passing reports of any of the momentous things that are happening.