Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-09
NEUTRALS' POSITION In THE WAR

etc. food. clothing. etc. Works of this
nature were multiplied at Harvard. and
in order to offer to some professors OF
Louvain. who had lost their places by
the war. situations which would permit
them to hope for better days.
1.-THE enemies have organized their
plan of action in every neutral country.
NJ. Huillard would do the same thing.
pacific measures. Combat and destroy
by pamphlets all statements made by
German journals and pamphlets to
prejudice public opinion in all neutral
countries. To do this loyalty and eff.
fectively NJ. Huillard proposes to ON
ploy Germany testimony to the exclu-
sion of all others to show that pan
Germanism was the cause Of the war
and had for its object the acquisition
OF mondial preponderance: that Ger
many in consequence menaced the tnde-
pendence OF neutrals as well as that of
nations actually allied against her to
defend their liberties."'
The first German witness is called by
NJ. Huillard to show that realistic
pangermanism" was
Pangermanism born in 1890. and
that the Alldeutscher
opasanoa. verband is the mill
| tant organ thereof. The object to at
tain. said one of the first pamphlets
published by the Alldeutscher." is the
| development of German power with
all its consequences. We should make
the greatest sacrifices to obtain, per
haps. a very short adjournment of the
necessary war. 1t would be a crime of
iese patrie to consent to agreements
which might place in question the
| fiction of our mondial position to OBJ
tain the advantage, more than doubt
full, to defer the war" (Our Future. p.
1881
The second German witness called by
NJ Huillard. among great number. is
Herr Tannenberg. in The Greater
| Germany" p. 102.
The time of preparation has lasted
long enough from 1871 to 191D. that
| Is forty years of work on land and
| sea, the object being constantly in
view. 1t is a question of making war
| to vanquish and to conquer. gain new
worlds. lands for colonization for the
German peasants. fathers of future
| warriors and future conquests"
NJ. Euillard. in order to combat the
propa ganda of pan germanism in neu-
| tral countries. proposes the creation
| of committees and. above all, central
| committee: he would ask the adhesion
| of committees which since the war hnd
| occupied themselves especially with
the question of propaganda and profit by
, the experience of the distinguished
| men and women who have directed
/ such committees
Up to the present moment these COM
! mittees have worked silently and
! alone each In its own circle: they do
not frequent each other and they are
| unknown to the grand public.
| These committees appeal to philan-
| thropic associations. scientific societies
and professional svndi-
Mabilleau's Gates through the inter-
| mediary of chambers of
o'u' commerce. NJ. Mabilleau.
who was in America in 1904, has re-
! Gently delivered a lecture in Paris on
the subject of THE French in Foreign
| Colonies
| NJ. Huillard. in the discussion Of the
/ position of neutrals in the war, cites
| a letter from NJ. Durkheim who writes:
THE new conditions of war necessi-
tate not only profound changes in
| tactics and in strategy; they impose
upon us all. and particularly non-com-
| batants, new duties of which We must
| take notice. The moral state of peo-
| pies is called upon to play in the war
role Of the highest Importance"
| Another angle in the question OF neu-
| trails is their position after the war.
What situation will peace procure for
neutrals? History teaches the persist
ence Of the principle of political equi-
librium. Equilibrium has been the mo-
tive of all struggles and coalitions.
Equilibrium is a certain equality of
power between great nations that
neither may dominate exclusively.
| Neutrality is of two kinds. and thus
| somewhat confusing. One is political
a n
| its own free will in the commencement
| of a war between other countries; IL
was Holland. Danish or Spanish neu-
trality: 1t was the neutrality of France
| in the wars in which she took no part.
| The other is permanent neutrality.
which was that accepted by Switzer-
land in 1915. by Belgium in 1897 and
later by Luxembourg and others. Neu-
trality was imposed on Belgium as
condition of her independence, even of
her existence. Neutrality was accorded
to Switzerland on her demand
In the congress of Vienna, SwitZer-
land. which was politically neutral
since three centuries, demanded of the
powers certain territorial advantages
and offered in return her permanent
neutrality.
In Belgium the idea of permanent
neutrality was no less hurtful than in
Switzerland. 1t is the new and modern
form of another idea. that of the bar
riere.' instituted by the treaty of
|
covers the Belgian frontier on the side
of France. and which Prussia and Eng
land reserved for themselves the right
to occupy militarily in case of war
against France.
In 1895 the Belgian government de-
sired to fortify Antwerp against Ho1-
land. but her permanent neutrality for
bade. From 1886 to 1S43 there were not
less than six projects of a customs
union between France and Belgium.
England caused each of these to fail by
invoking the permanent neutrality OF
Belgium.
In practice the limitations of perma-
nent neutrality are manifest. Belgium
besides could never
Limitations of form an alliance with
- Holland or any other
Neutrality. power; she could not
avian fortify her frontiers 1t was truly