TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1914-11-03
BELGIAN NEUTRALITY.


"bMlElAh ktutfAlitYt 20 mANu
aaaumod. and Il las been spoken Of
q . ouch 4 sASrca thing. that u may
be well 10 Examine the basis cf u
ana ret an exact idea OF lte SCOPE,
It Ia not a moral question, II IL Z
question OF truth. IL IL a question
purely Of International agreement
and SD mnst mad fer Il such al
agreement and the agreement must
moi have baen shrngated 0 have
become, BY change Of conditions.
obsolete. OF course BY the term
Belgian Mentality Ia meant
guaranteed neutrality. aut simply Tho
general neutrality Of all states not
at war at e time when othet states
are at war.
On tue 18Th cay or April. 1883.
Belgium ana Holland, which had
from 1916 to 1889 formed The United
Kingdom Of the Netherlands, signed
a treaty Of separation from, and
Independence o. each other. II i
ia this treaty that the original pledge
OF Belgian neutrality is % be fopnd.
This clansh In the treaty reads.
sEelalum IN the limits above DC
scribed shall farm an tndspenasnt
neutral state and shall be bound to
observe the arm neutrality towards
all other htattB.p On the same day
and at the same place, London, d
treaty, known In the history ni
diplomacy as the "oulntuple Treaty
was signed By Great Britain. France,
Prussia, Austria aud Russia, ap-
proving and adopting the treaty
between Belgium ard Holland. a
little later. May nth, the Germaa
Confederation. Of which both Prussia
and Austria we're states, also ratified
this treaty.
In the rear 1865 the German Com
federation was dissolved BY the short
war between Prussia ana Austria
In 1861 the North German HHiona
vas formed. Of which Prussia was
the largest state.
Did these changes Abrogate the
guarantee Of the Treaty Of 1889. o.
make IL ebsuleteG The tsst 0f this
cams IN the year 1870 at the be
ginning Of hustllitles between France
aud tie North German Union. Grsai
Britain, the power most interested 10
the maintenance Of Belgian neutrality
seems to have had considerable al
prehenslen about It. Mr.. Gladstone.
then Prime Minister. said In the
House Of Commons on the "a d
August, 1870: 4 am net able e
Subscribe 10 tbA doctrine OF thest
gho have held in this House wlaI
plainly amounts 10 an assertion thu.
the simple fact Of the existence q
4 guarantee Is binding on every
party 70 il, irrespective altogetle.
of the particular position in whiei
il may iind itself 1T the time whel
The occasion for acting On th'
guarantee arises"
Acting on this REV. the Briitsl
government then sought and procure,
from the French government, en-
4 from the government OF the Eestl
German unEon separate bnt iaeniica
treaties, ratified on the gth and 26t
Of August, 1870, respectively
guaranteeing the neutrality Of Be.
GUM dafIDg the period Of the We
| between France ard the North Ger
man Union 1.-THE so-cslied Francs
prussian mar}. which had Just broker
CIT. and for ONE year from the dat
Of Its close. In these treaties Grea
! Britain limited the possible operaiioi
) IL her military forces in manhattan
the neutrality II Belgium to iii
territory OF the state Of Belgium.
These treaties expired 10 the yea
1879, and the present German EmplF
t has never sipnsd any treat
guaranteeing ths neutrality Of Be
mum. III the Treaty Of 1888 ha
: become 80 unreliable In 1870 as I
I require. in the opinion Of the BIRTHS
i goFernuent, the new treaties In 1sl
In order to make sure OF th
guarantee Of Belgian neutrality, wha
sEall we say about IL IN 1915 Z
yesrs after these treaties of 1871
t rave expired. and after the Mott
4 German Union. which was party
7 them. has given var to the preset
German Empire?
FinAliy, The Hague Conferences I
1907 drafted a convention whic
! reads:
The territory 81 neutral power
Is inYiolable. ~Belllgerents are 70
hidden to msvs troops or onnvps
! af either munitions Of war or supple
aeross the territory Of = neatri
pausr.H
Great Britain. Germany, Aastr'
Hungary and itely fefussa 70 etc
! il and aid not sign ii. Russia va
not REPRESENTED.
Perhaps we may nov samswhl
: more clearly understand. wbY II
&c German Chancellor referred to Y
II guarantee Of Belgian neutrality a.
d scrap Or paper" Az any rate, ihe'
facts. taken together With the fac
! that Crest Britain refused 70 pledG
her a neutrality In the presei
b war even On the condition that 6s
IL many ~cuid agree uot 10 nova n
troops though Belgium and not
lt stack the north 1east Ut Franz
lA AID declined 10 formulate any CO
Hi ditlcns upon which she would rems
III nsusrai. clearly reduce England
much yaunted ~altrulstic reason !
IL entering upon this var 70
ID Diplomatic subterfuge.
1ig JOHN NJ. BURGESS
If Atheuwooa, Newport, 4. l.
Ii. September II, 1914.
THE Vital Issae.l
r. esnur0s un I'd H + NJ