"The last attempt in, this direction was a plan to occupy Scandinavia with the help of Norway and to set a new front there against G many. Only through Germany's action in the very last hour was this fatlempt foiled. Germany has proved that before the publics of the world through documents.
"Immediately after the failure of the British and French action in Scandinavia, England and, France took up again this policy of widening the theatre of the war in other directions, While the' wild retreat of British troops from Norway was still aking place, the British Prime rom these and other facts it seemed that the Belgian and Dutch Governments had adopted a definitely anti-German attitude which, under existing circumstances, constituted direct danger to Germany. The Ge: man Government, therefore, ordered German troops to march into Holland and Belgium, in order to safeguard these countries, "German troops have come to Bel~ glum and Holland not og enemies but fas friends. Germany did not want this development and did nothing to bring it about. The responsibility therefore. rests entirely with the
not {0 touch the overseas possessions Wesern Powers, Germany promises of Holland and Belgium.
"It fs still possible for Holland and Belgium at the last moment to save their countries by ordering no resist-nee' {0 German troops. The German Government therefore appeals to the Belgian and Dutch Governments to give their orders accordingly.
"Should German troops be resisted at any point in Belgium or Holland, they: will break this resistance with all the power at their disposal. The consequent useless bloodshed will therefore be the responsibility of the Belgian and Dutch Governments.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.