The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-27


ternational liabilities In 1859, during the
Franco Austrian war an impression got ahoat
among as that we we're in some way bound
by the European settlement of 1916 to secure
to Austria the continued possession of her
Italian provinces. Under these circumstances
the House OF Commons addressed the Crown
for ''copies of such parts of all treaties and
conventions now existing and still obligatory
as contain an engagement of guarantee under
which the Government of this country is
engaged expressly, or 10y construction aud
Inference, separately or in con junction with
any other power or powers, to interfere
by force Of arms, or by armed demonstra-
ton, or by the contribution of any military
contingent or pecuniary subsidy to attack or
defend any Government or nation with re-
ference to its internal arrangements or
foreign relations, or any other contingency
whatsoever" Since the return to this sd-
dress was presented we have concluded the
Luxemburg Treaty of 1867, and the dupli-
cate treaties with France and Prussia for the
further protection of Belgium, made at the
commencement of the pending war, and
terminable ON the restoration of peace.
With these three exceptions, the treaties of
guarantee, or, more properly Of guaranty,
which we still admit to be in force, are pretty
nearly the same as those which we admitted
to be in force in 1859. The countries to
which they have reference are Bel
GUM, Greece, Sardinia, Switzerland,
Portugal, Prussia, Turkey, and the United
States. The first treaty named in the return
is that between Great Britain, Austria,
France, Prussia, Russia, and the Netherlands
relative to the separation of Belgium from
Holland. 1t is dated April 10, 1889, and
hupersedes the treaty of November 10, 1881.
But the second article Of the treaty of 1889
renews the guaranty Of the independence,
integrity, and neutrality of Belgium by the
five powers contained in 25th article of the
treaty of 1881. The next treaties are those
between Great Britain, France, Russia, and
Bavaria relative to the sovereignty of Greece.
The convention of May Z, 1882, erects Greece
into a kingdom, and settles the crown on
Prince Ohio of Bavaria. 1t likewise makes
certain provisions with respect to the royal
revenue and national debt. The convention of
April 30, 1888, guarantees thesuccession to the
Greek throne in the line of Prince Otho or,
that failing, in the lines of Prince Luitpold and
Prince Adalbert of Bavaria, from male to
male, in order of primogeniture. We come,
then, to a treaty. between Great ssBritain,
Austria, France, Prussia, Russia, and Swift
zerland, dated May 26, 1857, by which the
King of Prussia renounces his sovereign
rights over the principality of Neufchatel and
the county of Valengin, assigned to him by
the treaty of Vienna, and joins the other
powers in guaranteeing their future connec-
tion with Switzerland. We then arrive at a
series of treaties between England Cor Great
BRITAIN and Portugal. The earliest of them
is a treaty of alliance concluded between
the Lord Edward, King of England
and France, and the Lord Ferdinand,
King of Portugal and Algarve," ''given and
done in the royal city of London, at the
great cathedral church of the same, at the
Festival of the New Solemnity of the Body
of Christ, that is to say, on the 10th day of
the month of June, in the year of our Lord
1873, of the Indiction the 18th, and of the
of tba
XI the Sd year." 1t is an engagement of
mutual guaranty of each sovereign's do
minionB. 1t was confirmed and enlarged by
another treaty of May 8, 1886. 1t is followed
by others of like import of 1912, 1864, 1660,
1903, and 1910. The treaty, signed at Vienna,
January %, 1915, provides by Article III
that
The treaty of alliance concluded at Rio de Janeiro
on the 10th OF February 1910, being founded on cir
cumstances OF temporary nature which have hap
PLY ceased to exist the said treaty is hereby de-
clsred TO be void in all its parts and OF no effect,
Of alliance friendship and guarantees which have 80
long and so happily sn6sisted between the two
contracting parties and acknowledged to be OF full
force and effect"
To Prussia we are by the 18th article o.
the Treaty of Vienna under the obligation, in
common with Austria, Russia, and France, of
guaranty with respect to the possession in
full property and sovereignty of her Saxon
provinces. 1t WAS to this obligation of
guaranty that Mr. Disraeli referred at the end
of last session when Parliament was discuss
ing the possible consequences of the Franco
Prussian war, and when the French seemed
more likely to be the invading than the in
vaded belligerent. We have also guaranteed
with the other powers the observance of
the treaty of March 16, 1916, be-
tween Sardinia and the Swiss Confederation
relating to the neutrality of the provinces
of Chablais and Faucigny. We have with
France guaranteed the integrity of the
kingdom of Sweden and Norway by
treaty signed November II, 1855, against
aggression the part of Russia, and
have engaged to furnish sufficient naval
and military forces to cooperate for the pur-
pose of resisting" it. Under the treaties of
1915 the perpetual independence, integrity,
and neutrality of Switzerland is placed under
the guarantee of the powers We have guar
anteed the independence and integrity of
Turkey by the treaty of March 30, 1856. We
have guaranteed the sovereignty of the Sultan
over the united pnncipalities of Moldavia
and Wallachia by the treaty of August 10,
1853. Finally, by convention dated April O.,
1850, between Great Britain and the United
States relative to the establishment of q COM
munication by ship canal between the Allan
tic and Pacific Oceans, the neutrality of the
said ship canal is mutually guaranteed, and it
is provided that neither party shall withdraw
from the guaranty without first giving six
months notice to the other. We have, at any
rate, plenty of irons in the fire, and some of
them may perhaps one day become unplea-
sanity warm for handling.
FRIGHTFUL NARRATIVE.