neutrality at every point, without any regard to alliances that might be formed in the course of the conflict. As her state of neutrality had been guaranteed by the Great Powers, she must wait for a blow to be struck at her by one of her guarantors, before she was in a position to call on any other guarantor to £^ssist in her defence.
War between Germany and Belgium was not opened until the morning of Monday, August 3. According to the evidence of people living in various frontier villages, the German troops crossed into Belgium as early as Sunday, August 2. They came only in small parties, as advance scouts, ratlier than to make any vigorous attack ; they were very polite, and had many excuses forintrusion. Sometimestheexcusewasthattheywantedtheir horses shod ; at other times they had missed their way ; or. again, they required some information and had come to ask it. On August 3 they arrived in increasing numbers. They asked for accommodation in convents and in schools. They asked nicely,'" wrote one resident of a frontier village, but gave the impression that if refused they would take more." Then, on the 4th, disguise was thrown off, and the troops poured in in force.
The first point of contact with Belgian troops was in the little town of Vis6 on the river Meuse some few miles S. of Maest^cht. During the few days prior to the presentation of the ultimatum over 160,000 German troops had been collected quietly on the frontier. Motortransporthadbeenprovided,andtheplanwas to rush forward and secure the control of the bridges and rail- waystowardsLi6geandBrussels. TheBelgians,however,were prepared, and on the approach of the German advance guard blew up the central spans of the bridge and fiercely contested the crossing,aidedbythegunsofthefortsinfrontofLiege. After three hours' fighting the handful of Belgian troops was driven back and retired on the city, destroying in their retreat every- thingthatmightbeoftheleastservicetotheinvaders. The Germans contented themselves with the capture of the crossing, and threw out a cloud of cavalry to maintain contact with the retreatingBelgians. Themaincolumnofinfantrymovedslowly forward on Li^ge, and the invasion of Belgium had begun in earnest.
Already Germany had received her first surprise. The day on which she invaded Belgium, Great Britain had d^lared war
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GERMAN INVASION OF BELGIUM