New-York tribune., 1919-08-01
Substitute for Neutrality
Pact of 1889 Asks Better
Safeguards Against Any
Northern Aggressions
No Territorial Gain Asked
Serbs Fear That Bulgars Are
Escaping Too Easily and
Urge Treaty Rehearing

PARIS, July 81 (By The Associated
Press) Next Monday Belgium will
present her case before the Commits
sion Of Fourteen which is discussing
the question of the revision of the
treaty of 1889 under which her neu-
trality was guaranteed by Great Brit
ain, Austria, France, PRUSSIA and Rus
sia.
The commission is composed of two
delegates from each of the five great
powers and two each from Belgium
and Holland. P. Segers. Minister of
State, and NJ. Orts, Minister Plenipo-
tentiary, will put forth the claims of
Belgium.
Belgium, in the statement that is to
be submitted, does not seek any terri
torial expansion, but asks to be placed
in position that should there be &
repetition of the wanton aggression of
1914 she will be able to defend herself
on the Meuse and Scheldt rivers, in
stead of on the User.
Asks for Guarantees
The proposal of Belgium does not in
sist upon the REIMBURSEMENT of the
Limbourg key to Liege and the left
bank of the Scheldt key to Antwerp,
but asks that guarantees be given, in
the event Of another invasion rom the
north, that Limbourg will be properly
defended, thus protecting Liege ana
permitting the Belgian armies to con-
centrate behind the Meusc.
Concerning the Scheldt, Belgium de-
sires free passage on the river in times
of peace or war (the last four words
are underlined in the Belgian stace-
menD. Belgium, the statement con-
tinues, must receive guarantees that
Scheldt will not be made impossible by
the fact that she does not own the left
bank Of the lower river.
The supreme council discussed the
Bulgarian boundaries again to-day, but
reached no decision. The discussion
will be resumed tomorrow.
The council received a. report from
the Military Commission at Versailles
on the situation at Danzig and Memel.
Danzig and the Memel report was re-
ferred to the Baltic Commission.
Sweden Gets Hearing
The council will grant the request of
tho Swedish government for hearing
concerning the disposition of the
Aland Islands.
nc COJlSIcuSe IliSSloil VII L OllSH
affairs is engaged in drawing up a con-
stitution for Galicia, which will be sub
mitted shortly to the supreme council.
The purpose of this commission is to
recommend that Galicia be under Po-
land, but with the right to regulate its
local affairs to q considerable extent.
Poland and Czecho Slovakia seeming
| ly are unable to reach an agreement as
to the disposition of the Teschen dis
trict, and the supreme council will
doubtless be forced to decide the fu-
ture of the disputed territory.
The council will probably refer the
question to popular vote of the dis
trict. The general opinion in confer
ence circles is that Poland will win, as
the Poles far outnumber the Czechs
in this district, although there is q
great division on religious lines, which
may prevent vote along strictly ma
tional lines.
The Serbians have appealed to the
supreme council for a hearing on the
political and economic clauses of the
/ Bulgarian treaty. The Serbs believe
that the Allies arc disposed to let the
Bulgarians escape with too small in
IDENTITIES and are uneasy over the
American position concerning the Bull
garan boundaries, which is supported
so far as is known, by none of the
Allied countries with the exception OF
Italy.