Kaiser Yearned For It.

From The Kearney Files
Northern Echo (Darlington) 3rd September 1914

GIFT TO BELGIUM
MR CHALMERS KEARNEY AND HIGH SPEED RAILWAY

The Central News last evening received the following statement :-
Mr. Chalmers Kearney, who has just got back from Austria, has offered M Empian the Belgian railway magnate, the free and unconditional use of the Kearney High Speed Railway System, in Belgium as a slight acknowledgement of the magnificent defence made by that country, and of the generous contribution by M. Empian to the indemnity demanded by Germany from Brussels.
M. Empian had been negotiating for the use of the Kearney system some time prior to the outbreak of hostilities, but terms acceptable to Mr. Kearney had not been arrived at.
The above announcement recalls the advances to Mr. Kearney, a year or two ago, by the German Government, to be supplied with the necessary plans and data for the construction of a high speed railway of strategic importance, which, if it had materialised, would have had a far reaching effect on the present conditions.
Mr. Kearney promptly referred the matter to the British War Office, for advice, with the result that the Kaiser's  overtures were politely but firmly declined. Persistent efforts were made for some time to obtain the desired information but without success.

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