Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-03-19
Allies Enter Into New
Pact With Belgium
Continued from Page One.)

proposal are evident. IL could only
be accepted If the French and British
agreed to permit the German armies
to withdraw unmolested through
Belgium. The Germans could then
establish themselves on the Meuse.
evacuating nearly all northern
France. but shortening their line by
one-half. planting their right upon
the fortresses Of Montmedy and
Longwy and holding their present
line IN the Woevre and the Vosges.
Standing on such a line. with the
neutrality of Belgium guaranteed,
with half their present force could
defy the efforts Of the French and
British armies, and nearly n million
men would be relea sed for the eastern
front. Such n move would. of course,
end all chance of Germany getting a
decision in the west. but in the east
the Russians might be unable to
withstand greater blow than that of
last spring.
The loss of prestige involved in n
renunciation of northern France
might be counterbalanced," my in
formant pointed out, "by the moral
blow to the entente of the detection
Of Belgium, for whom Britain claims
to be fighting. Such a sensational
turn Of events, If we had accepted
the offer. would appear to the Ger
man people in the light of a success.
especially II the Germans won a de-
cision in the east soon after the
withdrawal. The Germans calculated.
perhaps rightly. that the moral press
ure of the whole world would pre-
vent France and Britain from refus-
ing us the right to take back our
country without having 1t torn to
pieces by the fighting that must come
if the Germans are to be driven out"
The gist of the suggestions con-
veyed by the nuncio We're at once
conveyed by NJ. do Broqueville. the
Belgian premier, to the British and
French foreign offices. Great activ-
ity followed in London and Paris, and
on February Lord Curzon left Lon
don to discuss the situation with King
Albert, the Belgian premier, General
Joffre and Sir Douglas Haig. This
conference took place not at the
provisional capital here. but at the
Belgian military headquarters, n little
town among the dunes of Flanders.
Lord CurZon was chosen for the mis-
sion because he is an old friend of
the king, and Albert's two little girls
have been confided to Lord Curzon's
care in England.
What happened at this momentous
meeting cannot be learned. but from
the presence Of the British and
French commanders-in chief, as well
as Lord CurZon, the king, and "a rep
resentative of the French govern
ment it may be inferred that the mil
itary as well as political features of
the proposed arrangement were thor
oughly canvassed. 1t is understood in
diplomatic circles in Paris that the
allied ENJOYS tried to get the king to
sign the pact Of London pledging
Belgium not to make separate
peace. but that was refused.
The Belgian attitude on this point
is that to join the allies would COM
nit Belgium to the entente even
after the war, and justify Germany
in regarding Belgium as an enemy.
Belgium desires only to be indemni-
fled and let alone. and is fighting only
for her neutrality. The peace con-
gress, her king hopes, will settle for
ever her status as an inviolable neu-
trail committed to neither European
alliance.
The result of the conference in the
last corner Of Belgium remaining to
the king and Of negotiations which
lasted a week longer between the al
lied powers, was the publication of a
denial by the Belgian government
that Germany had offered peace, and
the announcement by the allies of a
new pledge to Belgium. This goes
much further than any previous as
surances. and the concluding para
graph is of great Importance. 1t
reads:
THE allied and guaranteeing pow
ers declare that. when the moment
comes. the Belgian government will
be called upon to take part in the
peace negotiations. and that they will
not end hostilitles until Belgium has
been restored to her political and
economic independence and literally
Unidentified for the damage she has
sustained. They will lend their aid
to Belgium to insure her commercial
and financial recovery"
This pledge comes from japan and
Italy, as well as the powers which
guaranteed in 1889 the neutrality Of
Belgium; 1t admits Belgium to the
peace congress; 1t pledges an indem-
nifty regardless Of whether one can
be collected from Germany. and also
help 10 set the country on its COM
mercial feet.