text_original: The French Govern  ment repudiated Bismarck's account of the matter, and the Emperor himself declared from his camp at Metz that it was Bismarck who offered him Belgium and that he had refused it.^ Whatever the truth as to the original transaction it was not easy to justify Bismarck's disclosure, nor the moment selected for it. ^ Fitzmaurice, ii. 41. I 426 ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM [1868  But the diplomatic controversy that ensued was not without advantage to Great Britain.
text_transcription: THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT REPUDIATED BISMARCK'S ACCOUNT OF THE MATTER AND THE EMPEROR HIMSELF DECLARED FROM HIS CAMP AT MESS THAT IT WAS BISMARCK WHO OFFERED HIM BELGIUM AND THAT HE HAD REFUSED IT WHATEVER THE TRUTH AS TO THE ORIGINAL TRANSACTION IT WAS NOT EASY TO JUSTIFY BISMARCK'S DISCLOSURE NOR THE MOMENTS SELECTED FOR IT BUT THE DIPLOMATIC CONTROVERSY THAT ENSUED WAS NOT WITHOUT ADVANTAGE TO GREAT BRITAIN
phonemes: ðə fɹˈɛntʃ ɡˈʌvɚn mˈɛnt ɹᵻpjˈuːdɪˌeɪɾᵻd bˈɪsmɑːɹks ɐkˈaʊnt ʌvðə mˈæɾɚ, ænd ðɪ ˈɛmpɚɹɚ hɪmsˈɛlf dᵻklˈɛɹd fɹʌm hɪz kˈæmp æt mˈɛts ðˌɐɾɪt wʌz bˈɪsmɑːɹk hˌuː ˈɔfɚd hˌɪm bˈɛldʒəm ænd ðæt hiː hæd ɹᵻfjˈuːzd ɪt.wʌtˈɛvɚ ðə tɹˈuːθ æz tə ðɪ ɚɹˈɪdʒɪnəl tɹænsˈækʃən ɪt wʌz nˌɑːt ˈiːzi tə dʒˈʌstᵻfˌaɪ bˈɪsmɑːɹks dɪsklˈoʊʒɚ, nˈɔːɹ ðə mˈoʊmənt sᵻlˈɛktᵻd fɔːɹ ɪt. fɪtsmˈɔːɹɪs, ɹˌoʊmən tˈuː. fˈɔːɹɾi wˈʌn. aɪ fˈɔːɹhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti sˈɪks ɐdmˈɪnɪstɹˌeɪɾɪv ɹᵻfˈɔːɹm [wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti ˈeɪt bˌʌt ðə dˌɪpləmˈæɾɪk kˈɑːntɹəvˌɜːsi ðæt ɛnsˈuːd wʌz nˌɑːt wɪðˌaʊt ɐdvˈæntɪdʒ tə ɡɹˈeɪt bɹˈɪtən.