Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-05-29
BELGIUM AND GREECE.

bEAJlONl AMI UAEILSCs
In a recent address in the German
reichstag, published by the leading
newspapers of this country "a thing
which should not be practiced) the
speaker declared that there was lit
tie or no difference between the way
the Germans treated Belgium and the
way the allies treated Greece. That
is the argument often INDUCED in
by German sympathizers in this
country. But the facts are differ
ent.
Years ago, Germany, Great Brit
ain, France, Russia and Italy Joined
a treaty OF Belgium neutrality. Not
only did each of these great powers
pledge themselves to observe the neu-
trality of little Belgium, but they
went so far as to promise protection
against encroachments of other coun-
tries. That being the situation, Ger
many violated her pledge when she
ruthlessly and without any justifica-
ton whatever, insisted upon march
ing her armies across Belgian terri
tory, and when Belgium resisted, as
in duty bound, laid waste the coun-
try and levied heavy tribute upon the
people. Even to this day Germany is
taking the able bodied men of Bel
GUM away into slavery. At the be-
ginning of the great European war
the Freeman-Tribune was absolutely
neutral in it's columns and in it's sem
timents, but when the German arms
ravished little Belgium in such a
heartless and ruthless manner it
aroused the indignation of vast
majority of the American people and
our government should have protest
ed at that time. 1t was not enough
to satisfy the brutality of Prussian-
ism to lay such towns as Brussels in
ruin. On top of that a number of
her leading citizens were seized and
held as hostages, until the demand
for tribute of $4O,OOO,OOO was met
and security for it's payment fur
nished. So much for the ravishment
of Belgium by Prussianism.
Now what of Greece? In 1912 a
war broke out with Bulgaria on the
one side and Serbia and Greece on
the other. In that conflict the lat
ter two countries won. They under
stood that Bulgaria would some day
undertake the contest-at-war again,
and Serbia and Greece entered into
a compact of mutual assistance.
Each state agreed to protect the 9TH
err against all combinations of other
states for the territory of each.
Years ago Greece had possessed Sa-
loniki and Kavallia and secured
possession of them again. Serbia
won Monastir and the surrounding
country. 1t was understood that
Serbia was to stand by Greece and
protect her against Bulgaria, and
there is no doubt but that Serbia
would have carried out her part of
the agreement had the occasion
arose. But when Bulgaria declared
war on Serbia, as an ally of Ger
many, Austria and Turkey, the king
of Greece deliberately violated his
pledges to Serbia, but the people of
Greece, true to their historic valor,
wanted to stand by their pledges to
Serbia. This condition of things
created great discomfort in Greece,
and a very large share of her pee
pie wanted to overthrow the king
and join in the war with France,
Russia and Great Britain. Neither
France, Russia nor Great Britain
had agreed explicitly to respect the
of Greece, as Germany had
done in the Belgium case. There
was no way for the allies of Serbia