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- 4 August, 1914
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- <l:h1>Origin of the Term "A Scrap of Paper"<l:/h1><br>
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- Sir E. Goschen, the British Ambassador in Berlin, called on Chancellor
- von Bethmann-Hollweg for a final interview. Goschen's report to
- Sir Edward Grey indicates the origin of the phrase, "a scrap of paper,"
- which had an important effect on world public opinion.<!:hr><p>
- I found the Chancellor very agitated. His Excellency at once began a
- harangue, which lasted for about twenty minutes. He said that the step
- taken by His Majesty's Government was terrible to a degree; just for a
- word -- "neutrality," a word which in wartime had so often been
- disregarded -- just for a scrap of paper Great Britain was going to make
- war on a kindred nation who desired nothing better than to be friends with
- her. All his efforts in that direction had been rendered useless by this
- last terrible step, and the policy to which, as I knew, he had devoted
- himself since his accession to office had tumbled down like a house of cards.
- What we had done was unthinkable; it was like striking a man from behind
- while he was fighting for his life against two assailants. He held Great
- Britain responsible for all the terrible events that might happen. <p>
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