Nothing that Cuunt Bernstorff or
any other apologist of tha Ger
man breach of good faith may
say can make the American
people think that Germany be
lieved that France was intending
to do that which she herself has
done. The facts are all absolute
ly and conclusively against such
a supposition. So little prepara
tion had France made to resist a
German invasion through Bel
gium, that, had it not been for
the totally unexpected interposi
tion of England on behalf of Bel
gium, and the magnificent tight
against overwhelming odds put
up by the small Belgian army,
Germany today would be inside
the very gates of Paris.
The French line of defense
stretched from Belfort to the
southern limits of the Belgian
frontier. North of that she be
lieved that her defense consisted
of a "sheet of paper" with the
solemn attest thereon of herself
and her great German neighbor.
The loss to France and Belgium
of the fair lands that are now
being overrun with fire and
sword by Germany, is, after all,
trivial compared with the enor
mous loss of moral prestige suf
fered by the ruthless invader a
loss which no carefully worded
sophistication of the diplomat or
tne Historian or. tne iuture can
ever redeem.
