Page:Paul Samuel Reinsch - Secret Diplomacy, How Far Can It Be Eliminated? - 1922.djvu/102



Great War had broken out that Sir Edward Grey, in his speech of August 3, 1914, gave to Parlia- ment some account of what had actually hap- pened.

The first important step in the new interna- tional policy of Great Britain was taken immedi- ately after the Liberal Government had been formed on December 12, 1905. It appears that Sir Edward Grey consulted in this matter par- ticularly Mr. Asquith and Lord Haldane, inform- ing the Prime Minister, Sir Henry Campbell- Bannerman, but not his other Cabinet colleagues. The above three men were the leaders of the Lib- eral Imperialist faction, and it is not at all cer- tain that in an aggressive foreign policy they would have been at that moment readily followed by their whole party.

When in consequence of the attempted division of Morocco, relations between France and Ger- many became somewhat strained, Sir Edward Grey, Foreign Minister, made communications to the French Ambassador to the effect that, while no promises could be given to any Foreign Power, yet in Sir Edward Grey's opinion, if war was then forced upon France on the question of Morocco, public opinion in England would rally to the ma- terial support of France. Sir Edward