New-York tribune., 1916-02-23
"IF BELGIUM MADE PEACE
A Possibility Involving Calamity
for the World.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: The discussion by Mr.. Simonds III
The Tribune OF to-day points out the posi-
bilty, almost the likelihood, thnt Belgium
may make separate peace with "ermany'
I am appalled at such an idea and cannot
conceive such n calamity as that coming 10
the world As we'll believe that the violated
nuns of Acrschot. il they could come back
from their graves. would rush into the arms
of their dcspoilers
In all recorded history no people have
stood on so high plane Of honor and IN
is defence showed such infinite and per
sistcnt courage as have the Belgians "Tout
est perdu fors l'honneur" and shall they
now. deliberately, and of their own will, for
felt all that's left-thcir honor? Forbid IT.,
Almighty God
We most hate those whom we have most
wronged; and 90 the hate Of Germany for
Belgium makes it utterly impossible to be
lieve she would suggest such peace unless
she had become sure that otherwise she
would be forced very soon, TO ask for merci-
full terms for herself And special horror
at the prospect is that thereby Belgium
would become Germanys mightiest ally
against the Allies who had spent an infinity
Of life and treasure in her defence.
If Belgium, for the sake of some small
easement, can take money from those who
raped her daughters as we'll as her country,
and maintain neutrality as against France
and England, then by that act she would
release Germany from the need of offence
against France. and would release the West
ern troops and would double the German
army for more easterly work.
II would be better than sending her two
million soldiers. | cannot believe II possible
that from her loftest height Of nobility she
should descend into the lowest pit Of degra
dation; humbly fall willingly, into German
arms, surrender her everlasting glory Of the
last twenty months, and become, suddenly,
instead of the soul OF honor, the soul OF
shame
Unthinkable it should be and is to every
lofty soul who gives thanks to heaven that
Belgium and Albert have equalled Their
mopylG and Leonidas and proved that to
maintain the sanctity of treaties and Of
honor they would "play out the game" even
20 the point of their own determination.
After the first violation OF the eighty
year-old treaty and its succeeding horrors it
cannot be that any sane Belgian could put
any trust OF any sort. in any treaty or
promise Germany might offer. Just one
more scrap of paper" Nothing is so GER
tain as that Germany has forfeited every
claim to be trusted by any people, even her
own. Brazen in her arrogance, ruthless in
every detail, utterly false to promises and
treaties, it ought to be seen that the pro
posed separate peace with Belgium is moth
ing but war trick to do greater harm 10
the deserted Allies.
Upon sanctity of treaty Belgium took her
splendid stand against Germany, and so she
simply cannot now herself break that same
treaty without complete assent Of her Allies:
that would cast her down almost TO the level
of Germany.
II Belgium shall sink into such a slough.
through despair, it will in great degree be
chargeable to the dreadful neglect of the
government OF the United States either TO
say one word of manly protest or do one
act in her behalf. If the Belgian is 10 be-
come infamous much of that infamy will
rest upon America.
Our present cessation Of diplomatic rela-
uons with Germany Il urged il nine months
ago. would soon end the idea of a tratorous
special peace with Belgium II would give
new life 10 Belgium and her admirers. and II
would restore self-respect TO Americans, end
sound the knell OF "Prusssnism"
JOSEPH CULBERTSON CLAYTON.
Brooklyn, Feb. 49, 1916