The Washington times., 1914-10-02
Washington German-American
y Says Belgian Nationality Was
Established to Save England
From France.
Bv ERNEST BRUNCKEN.

ize more or less dimly that 1t cannot
be for the best interest of their own
country, or. for that matter. of man.
kind. If the national life and culture
of the German people are destroyed
and the dominion Of the world divided
between the Russian and the Briton.
Yet they are unable to throw. their
sympathles on the side Of the great
civilized nation now battling for its
existence as the Greeks tattled for
their existence at Marathon and
because Of a feeling that Germany
has committed an objectionable in
justice In forcing Belgium to permit
the passage Of her armies through It's
territory. ------.
Being little familiar with the ma
ture Of treaties of neutrality, and
still less so with the historical cir
cumstances surrounding Belgian neu-
trality in particular. they assume. on
the strength of the asseverations made
70 by the British press and It's fatuous
American copyists, that Germany
was in the attitude Of a bully at
tacking an inonensive, small boy,
while Great Britain chivalrously
came to the rescue.
This article will try to show the
true circumstances, and prove that
under every law of public morality
the Germans were justified in what
they did; or. to put 1t in another way,
that the German political and mill
tary authorities would have been
recreant to their duty IL they had
neglected to do precisely what they
have done.
The Congress Of Vienna.
In order to do this it will be
necessary to go back in history
as, far as 1915. when the treaties
were made at the Congress Of
Vienna. by which the condition OF
Europe was settled after the Ma
poleonic cataclysm.
Before the French revolution the
various districts now comprised in
the kingdom Of Belgium had con,
dominions OF the house Of Haps-
burg-Lorraine. Under Napoleon
they werc incorpora ted in the
French empire. Now II was re-
solved by the powers which as
sumed the right of disposing Of
land and people according as IT
suited them. that they should be
the Netherlands. The arrangement
was unfortunate. 1t is true that
the people Of the northwestern
part of these districts were SINH
lar in race, language, and man
ners to the Hollanders, and that
more than 2e0 years ago they had
Joined the northern people in the
revolt against Spain,
But they had retained the Catholic
religion, they had made their peace
with the House of Hapsburg, and
for two centuries led their own life.
which grew more and more apart
from that of the Hollanders, until
even their language. which in Eng
lish we call Flemish" has become
considerably differentiated from the
Dutch
If the F1emings chafed under their
enforced connection with Holland,
this was still more true Of the Wal
looms, the inhabitants Of the south
eastern part of the country. These
people are French by language.
manners. and traditions. and 1t was
due merely to historical accident
that they had been part of the
longing to France. In 1915. as to-
day, the great majority of Walloons
would have welcomed incorporation
with France.
Walloon Revolt In 1890.
In 1890. when after the famous
Days of July in Paris. a wave Of
revolutionary excitement passed
through Europe. the Walloons, car
rying the F1emings with them as
somewhat passive followers, declared
themselves independent and estab-
lished q provisional government.
Thev had the support Of the French
authorities, who hoped to acquire
possession Of these rich territories,
il not directly, at least by making
the son of Louis Philippe. the French
king, ruler of the new state Ihese
French ambitions We're foiled by
Great Britain, which could not bear
the idea of a powerful nation like
France being establi shed so closely
opposite the mouth Of the Thames.
At a conference Of the powers. held
in London, it was decided to recog-
nize the new state. which took the
name of Belgium-a name that was
entirely artificial, for never since the
days Of julius Caesar had there been
a country by that name.
The artificial appellation was cx-
c,edingly fitting for the artinclal
creation OF diplomacy. For to this
dav there is no Belgian nation In
the sense that there Ia an American
or German nation. In all but
nureiv official relations. the inhabit-
ants of that country feel that they
are either Walloons or F1emings. and
the two nationalities have to this
day lived together in state OF
scarcely restrained hostility.
Great Britain. the sponsor OF the
new government, succeeded IN Cd.
tanning a further safeguard against
French attempts to take possession
Of this country by getting the vari-
ous European powers to agree that
they would not only themselves re
snect the Integrity Of Belgium. but
would protect this integrity against
attack from anybody else
ReIpion neutrality was established
nrimariIv for the benefit of England.
and as measure of protection OF
that mower against well-founded sus-
picions of French aggressiveness.
The interest of Belgium itself was
a very secondary consideration In
this regard, Belgian neutrality Is
very different from the neutrality
~ Switzerland The latter Is re-
snected by everybody because the
sturdy swiss themselves have made
II very much to the interest of
everybody to respect IL. and the
. interest others have in its preserva-
ton is by no HledlS oi suCl iiiIpoi u
ance as the interest England has
in keeping a strong power out OF
Antwerp and Ostende.
Germany Justified.
Having thus given n brief historical
Characterization of the peculiar ma
ture Of Belgian neutrality. we may
proceed to the argument.
Germany was justified. first be-
causa through the acts of the other
IL L.