Washington Journal., 1914-12-12
on the quoted decision ever since.
The Case of Belgium.

The Case of Belgium.
1t is, therefore, universally rec
ognized that the vital interests of a
country supersede its treaty obliga-
tons. But though this is the theore-
tic side of the question, there is a
practical one as regards Belgium:
When the war broke out there was
no enforceable treaty in existence to
which Germany was a party. Origin
ally. in 1889, a treaty was concluded
providing for such neutrality. In 1866
France demanded of Prussia the right
to take possession of Belgium,i and
The written French offer was made
'Snown by Bismark in July, 1870.
Then England demanded and obtained
separate treaties with France and
with the North-German Federation to
he effect that they should respect
Belgium's neutrality, and such
treaties were signed On the ninth
ind t~wenty-sixth of August, 1870, re
3pectively. According to them both
countries guaranteed Belgium's neu
.rality for the duration of the war and
for one year thereafter. The war
came to an end with the Franklin
Peace in 1871, and the treaty between
Belgium and the North-G erman Fed
,ration expired in May, 1872.
Why the new treaties, if the ole
one held good? The Imperial Chan
cellor has been continuously misrep
resented as admitting that in the
case of Belgium a treaty obligation
was broken. What he said was tina
the neutrality of Belgium could no
BE respected and hat we were sin
eerely sorry that Belgium, a countr!
that in fact had nothing to do with tn,
question at issue and might wish t.
stay neutral, had to be Overrun Blu,
{ should net be forgotten that the
offer Of indemnity TO Belgium and thu
full maintenance of her sovereignty
had been made not only once but even
a second time after the fall OF Liege,
and that it would have been entirely
possible for Belgium to avoid all the
devastation under which she is nov
suffering.
England takes the position that in
ase France had used Belgium as "a
stepping stone England would have
zone to war against France for break
ng the Belgian neutrality. This Is q
remarkable proposition. On July
hirtieth the Belgian charge-d'affaires
1t st. Petersburg wrote to his govern
nent-and the authenticity Of this
'etter cannot be impeached-that the
Russian war party got the upper hand
Ipon England's assurance that she
would stand in with France. This
was written before the Belgian ques
ton ever came up; and before Sir
Edward Grey expounded in the Par
lament the Belgian question he In
sisted hat England was obliged tC
protect the French coast against Ger
many because of the amity and friend
ship existing between the two nations
He then read the correspondence O.
1912 between himself and the French
Minister of War, where the arrange
ment is alluded to that the French
fleet should protect the Mediterranean
Sea and the English feet the northern
coast of France. So in consequence O.
this Sir Edward Grey insisted t.
Count Lichnowsky that the mainten
ance OF Belgium's neutrality alone
would not keep England from goinf
to a but that if France should b.
attacked England would aid her.
wish an intelligent American
reader to picture TO himself a situa
ton where England protects thu
French coast against Germany am
goes to wal against France for hreacl
Of the Belgian neutrality.
But Belgium was not neutral at all
any more, and with her circumstances
had greatly changed. Even since 1906
she had been in correspondence. with
England, celebrating plans for a COM
mon defense. providing for the landing
of a hundred thousand English at Ant
werp. She had been in correspond
ence with France, building ~fortresscs
all along the German frontier. which
form a continuous chain with the
French fcrtresses along that same
frontier. She had been changing her
military system to a system or COM
pulsory CONSUMPTION. establishing an
army of more than three hundred
thousand men, creating-on English
instigation-a spy system on her cast
ern frontier, acquiring enormous over
sea possessions OF nine hundred thou
sand square miles. an urea three times
as great AS GGItiNhS anu popuANfSN -
nine million inhabitants. This acqui-
sition, by the way, vas also obtained
by breach of treaty.
Belgian population at home is big
ger by one-half than that Of Portugal.
Though Belgium left her frontiers TO-
ward France entirely unprotected d
open. she was actively preparing to
make a stand against Germany. This
Is not the poor little country that Is
being pictured TO the Americans. l
think the Belgian fighting. which she
has had to do almost quite alone
against a large part of the German
forcea. should fully prove that.
But sho did more. The Imperial
Chancellor said that he had proofs that
the French we're TO invade Germany
by way Of Belgium. Proof there 49,
French soldiers and French guns, IN